-
Declaration of Independence
On this day the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, legitimizing the colonies as their own state. -
United States Constitution
The US Constitution was signed by all 13 colonies by this day. The Constitution ended the failing Continental Congress, and instead placed the United States of America as the governing body. -
Bill of Rights ratified
The Bill of Rights was passed by Congress on this day to be included in the Constitution. The Bill of Rights outline each citizens specific rights, including the first amendment, which gives freedom of: religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and protest. -
Schenck v. United States
This court case revolved around freedom of speech during times of war. The Supreme Court decided that the government can restrict people's expressions that “would create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.” -
Abrams v. United States
The defendants publicly denounced the World War 2 effort by criticizing the U.S.'s action of sending troops to Russia. The defendants received criminal punishment for their actions, and their case went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court sided with the law, saying that the punishment did not go against the defendants First Amendment right of Free Speech because the Defendants were publicly denouncing the War effort. -
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
This Supreme Court Case was focused on if students can Constitutionally be required to recite the pledge of allegiance. The Supreme Court sided with freedom of speech, and ruled that schools could not force students to make a pledge towards something. -
United States v. O’Brien
This Supreme Court Case was focused on deciding if criminal punishment from burning Vietnam draft cards was justified. The case was brought to the Supreme Court after David Paul O'Brien burned his Vietnam Draft card in protest of the Vietnam War, and he was later given criminal punishment for his actions. The Supreme court sided with the law, saying that the criminal punishment given did not go against O'Brien's Freedom of Speech. -
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District Supreme Court Case, 1969
3 students in the Des Moines Independent Community School District planned on wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, but when the school found out about their plans they banned the wearing of this arm band. The students wore the armbands anyway, and were suspended. The students sued the school for the violation of their First Amendment Right, and their court case was taken to the state level, where the state level courts affirmed the decision made by the School. -
Cohen v. California
This Supreme Court case revolved around deciding if using profane language in support of a cause is constitutional. A California man was sentenced to 30 days in jail after wearing a jacket that verbally denounced the Vietnam draft using profane language. The Supreme Court decided that Cohen's punishment for his actions went against the First Amendment right of Freedom of Speech. -
Island Trees School District v. Pico
This case revolved around deciding if schools had the right to remove books from the school's library in which the school didn't agree with the content of the book. The Supreme Court was split even over if this action violated the first amendment, and no decision was made. -
Texas v. Johnson
This Supreme Court case revolved around determining if punishment for burning an American Flag is constitutional. The Supreme Court decided that punishment for burning an American Flag as a form of symbolic protest was unconstitutional, because it went against Freedom of Speech. -
Virginia v. Black
This Supreme Court case revolved around deciding if punishment for the burning of a cross is constitutional. The Supreme Court decided that punishment for burning a cross went against Freedom of Speech from the 1st amendment.
