Monumental Events/Cases that shaped the First Amendment

Signing of the Magna Carta

Jun 15, 1215

The Magna Carta established the principle that no one, including the king or lawmaker, is above the law, and establishes the framework for future documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Virginia Declaration of Rights

Jun 29, 1776

Drafted by George Mason, proclaiming the inherent rights of men, including the right to reform or abolish "inadequate" government. Passed by the House of Burgesses, and the Declaration of Rights is the first bill to be included in a state constitution. Had an influence on future documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

U.S. Constitution is adopted into law..

Sep 17, 1787

U.S. Constitution is adopted into law by the Federal Constitution Convention and later ratified by the states on June 21, 1788

Hostile Supreme Court..

Jan 1, 1801

The 19th century witnesses a Supreme Court hostile to many claims of freedom of speech and assembly. Judges feel that the Bill of Rights does not apply to the states.

14th Amendment

Jul 9, 1868

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. The Amendment, in part, requires that no state shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due processes of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Espionage Act

Jun 15, 1917

Congress passes the Espionage Act, making it a crime "to willfully cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States," or to "willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States."

Debs v. U.S.

Mar 10, 1919

U.S. Supreme Court upholds the conviction of socialist and presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs under the Espionage Act for making speeches opposing World War I.

Grosjean v. American Press Co.

Feb 10, 1936

U.S. Supreme Court invalidates a state tax on newspaper advertising applied to papers witha circulation exceeding 20,000 copies per week as a violation of the First Amendment.

Cantwell v. Connecticut

May 20, 1940

U.S. Supreme Court holds for the first time that the due-process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment makes the free-exercise clause of the First Amendment applicable to states.

Chaplinksy v. New Hampshire

Mar 9, 1942

U.S. Supreme Court determines "fighting words" are not protected by the First Amendment. Defines "fighting words" as "those which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of peace."

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette

Jun 14, 1943

U.S. Supreme Court rules that a West Virginia requirement to salute the flag violates the free-speech clause of the first amendment.

Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council

May 24, 1976

U.S. Supreme Court rules that the public has a First Amendment right to the free flow of truthful information about lawful commercial activities. Within this case, the court invalidates a Virginia law prohibiting the advertisement of prescription drug prices.

Board of Education v. Pico

Mar 2, 1982

U.S. Supreme Court rules that school officials cannot remove books from school libraries because they disagree with the ideas contained in the books.

Eldred v. Ashcroft

Jan 15, 2003

U.S. Supreme Court rejects constitutional challenges to the Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended the copyright protection term by 20 years. The court reasoned that copyright law had already has built-in First Amendment protections in the fair-use doctrine and the expression-idea dichotomy principle.