-
Zenger Acquitted of Sedition
New York newspaper owner John Peter Zenger is acquitted on charges of seditious libel for published criticisms of New York's colonial governor. The legal arguments advanced in Zenger's victory set a precedent for subsequent sedition trials in the colonies. -
Declaration of Independence
The United States had won its war against the Great Britain, and gained its independence. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and shortly after the creation, the discussions of a new government came along. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts during 1786 and 1787. Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays led four thousand rebels in an uprising against perceived economic and civil rights injustices. It was the event that showed America's weakness on full display, which ultimately led to a new government. -
US constitution
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government. -
Constitution Ratification
The United States Constitution is ratified with a recommendation from several states that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution as quickly as possible. -
Bill of rights
During the discussion of creating a new government, the Bill of Rights was created by James Madison, as a way to ensure the people their Civil Rights. -
First Amendment Ratified
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing that Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. -
Efforts to stifle debate about slavery
As abolitionists develop the tactic of submitting
many antislavery petitions to Congress,
pro-slavery members of the U.S.
House of Representatives adopt “gag”
rules that bar such petitions from being
introduced and debated. In 1844, former
President John Quincy Adams, then a representative
from Massachusetts, leads the
effort to repeal these rules. -
Sedition Act of 1818
Act of the United States Congress that extended the Espionage Act of 1917 to cover a broader range of offenses, notably speech and the expression of opinion that cast the government or the war effort in a negative light or interfered with the sale of government bonds. -
Schenck v. United States
In Schenck v. United States, the United States Supreme Court affirms the conviction of Socialist Party official Charles Schenck under the 1917 Espionage Act which made it a felony to "cause, or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military. -
Abrams v. United States
In Abrams v. United States, the United States Supreme Court affirms the convictions of Jacob Abrams et al under the 1918 Sedition Act for publishing pamphlets criticizing the war. -
Smith Act
Amid anxieties surrounding the outbreak of war in Europe, Congress passes the Smith Act making it illegal to advocate, verbally or in print, the desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States.
