Timeline: 1st Amendment Project

Jul 4, 1776

Americas First Steps

America makes a final draft of the Declaration of Independence which is adopted by the Continental Congress

Dec 15, 1791

First Amendment Ratified

The 1st Amendment was added to the Constitution, guaranteeing that "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."

1918

The Sedition Act

This act was passed to make it a crime to say bad things about the US government when we entered WW1 the act was later repealed in 1921

1919

Limits to First Amendment recognized in cases of “clear and present danger”

Makes it illegal to give false sense of danger example shouting fire when there is none.

1931

Near v. Minnesota

Minneapolis newspaper editor Jay Near attacked local officials by claiming in print that they were associated with gangsters.This case helped establish the principle that the government can't censor or prohibit a publication

1961

“Symbolic speech”

Five Africans Americans Protested segregation by doing sit-ins in restaurants, the ruled as freedom of speech was violated when there were arrested.

1966

Freedom of Information Act Passes

This Act makes it law for the Government to keep records of there operations and make them public.

Feb 24, 1969

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 1969

A court case in which three students at a school at public school wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam war, The students were suspended from school and later took the school to court in which the court ruled in favor of the students, that the school hurt their first amendment rights.

1976

Money spent in political campaigns is considered “speech”

Buckley v. Valeo In this court case The court ruled that a limit on the amount of money that can be donated to a campaign hurt free speech based on expression.