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Virginia Ordinance for Religious Freedom
The Virginia legislature adopted the Virginia Ordinance for Religious Freedom created by Thomas Jefferson. The ordinance stated that no one had to attend or support any church or ministry. The ordinance removed the Anglican Church from its position as the official church and fundamentally separated America from the countries that held strict religious beliefs. -
Stromberg v. California
The Supreme Court reversed the conviction of Yetta Stromberg, a member of the Young Communist League, who broke the state law by displaying a red flag as an emblem of opposition the the American government. This case presented the first time that the Court acknowledged that nonverbal speech such as a symbolic expression is protected by free speech. -
Thornhill v. Alabama
The Supreme Court struck down an Alabama law that forbid picketing or loitering without a cause or legal excuse. The court stated that the First Amendment allowed at the very least people the ability to talk publicly and truthfully about the matters of the public without fearing punishment. This case made it so protestors can not be punished no matter how small the issue is. -
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District
In Tinker v. Des Moines the Supreme Court ruled that Des Moines violated student's First Amendment rights by suspending them for wearing black armbands in protest against the Vietnam War. The Court stated that school officials can not censor a student's expression unless it creates a disruption to school. -
Brandenburg v. Ohio
In Brandenburg v. Ohio the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the conviction of a Ku Klux Klan leader for the speech he made at a rally. The Court ruled that speech advocating force or crime is not protected by the first amendment because the speech will likely incite or produce lawless action and the advocacy is also likely to commit lawless action. -
New York Times v. United States
The Supreme Court allowed the continued publication of the Pentagon Papers. The Court ruled that the point of the First Amendment is to keep the government from stopping the supression of information. The ruling guaranteed that the press has immunity for publication restraints. -
Lloyd Corp. v. Tanner
The Supreme Court ruled that the owners of a shopping center can ban anti-war protestors from passing out anti-war leaflets in their mall. The Court stated that the first amendment does not allow protestors to protest on private property. -
Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart
The Supreme Court invalidated a gag order of the Nebraska Press Association during a criminal trial. The Court stated that restraints on speech and publication are the most serious and intolerable infringements on the First Amendment. -
Wallace v. Jaffree
The Supreme Court invalidated an Alabama law that permitted a one minute silent period each day for optional prayer or meditation. The Supreme Court stated that the law was made in order to endorse religion which is a violation of the Establishment clause. -
U.S. v. Eichman
U.S. v. Eichman was the supreme court case that ruled the Flag Protection Act of 1989 unconstitutional. The Flag Protection Act punished anyone who deliberately mutilates, defaces, physically defiles,or burns the American flag. Gregory Lee Johnson and other protestors were arrested for burning the flag in protest but the charges were dismissed. The appeals went all the way to the Supreme Court where they found that the Flag Protection Act violated free speech guaranteed in the First Amendment. -
Santa Fe independent School District v. Doe
The Supreme Court found that student led and student initiated prayers at school football games violated the Establishment clause of the First Amendment. -
Snyder. v. Phelps
The Supreme Court ruled that the Westboro Baptist church protests at the funeral of a slain soldier were protected by the First Amendment because the protestors were on public land and protested peacefully.
