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Ratification of the Constitution
On this date, the Constitution is ratified. With it comes a recommendation from many states that a Bill of Rights be added as soon as possible. -
Ratification of the First Amendment
On this date, the First Amendment is ratified, guaranteeing that "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." -
Sedition Act
This act forbade the use of "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, its flag, or its armed forces . -
Tunis Wortman's Treatise on Free Speech
A book written by Tunis Wortman that criticizes the Sedition Act of 1798. (No exact publishing date found) -
Ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment requires that no state shall “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” -
The Smith Act of 1940
This act-passed in the wake of World War 2, made it illegal to advocate, verbally or in print, the "desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States." -
Chaplinksy v. New Hampshire
In this case, the Supreme Court holds that "fighting words," defined as "epithets likely to provoke the average person to retaliation," are not protected by the First Amendment. -
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that a West Virginia requirement to salute the flag violates the free-speech clause of the First Amendment. -
New York Times Co. v. United States
This case dealt with freedom of the press and whether or not the New York Times could publish the "Pentagon Papers" without penalty. The final decision was that the New York Times was allowed to print the papers. -
Bethel v. Fraser
In this case, the Supreme Court holds that the First Amendment does not protect high school students from punishment for disruptive or offensive speech in school. -
Virginia v. Black
In this case, The Supreme Court ruled that cross-burning was not free speech because they are too intimidating, making them true threats. -
Citizen's United v. FEC
This case's decision was that limitations on corporate spending in elections violated First Amendment political free-speech rights.
