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John Locke's Letter
John Locke was a religious leader who mainly believed that all men were equal. His Letter Concerning Toleration was published. It contained his ideas along with George Mason's ideas. This letter got popular and inspired people to adopt Locke's belief of equality. -
Trial of John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger was a New York newspaper publisher. In an article, he criticized the Governor of New York. He was sent to jail for libel and later put on trial. As he was defended by Andrew Hamilton, the jury decided he was not guilty of anything. This decision later led to the freedom of press. -
Adoption of Thomas Jefferson's Draft
Thomas Jefferson believed that every man should decide for himself because a higher God does not interfere with the universe. This belief is also known as deism. His beliefs led him to draft a Virginia state bill known as the Virginia Ordinance for Religious Freedom. This bill allowed people to decide their religion for himself/herself. Eventually, the Virginia legislature passed it, and the Anglican Church was done away with. Therefore, the idea of religious freedom became popular in society. -
Expiration of the Sedition Act of 1789
The Sedition Act of 1789 was passed by John Adams. The act punished anyone that published anything "false" against the government. The Congress noticed that this act was unconstitutional. Eventually, Congress let the act expire. After that, Thomas Jefferson pardoned all of those affected by it. The idea of freedom of press was strengthened. -
Ratification of the 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment states that no state can deny any person life, liberty, and property. It also states that all people will be protected by law, regardless of their characteristics. This amendment furthered the freedoms of the 1st Amendment with the ratification of natural rights. -
Patterson v. Colorado
A publisher named Thomas Patterson published articles and a cartoon that criticized the Colorado supreme court. The U.S. Supreme Court stated that they did not have the right to review the conviction of Patterson. Patterson's rights of speech and press were being violated, and the court had to decide what action to take. They eventually decided that the freedom of speech and press are only guarded by prior restraint. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
A Tennessee teacher named John Thomas Scopes was found teaching the theory of evolution in a public school. The state of Tennessee tried him for teaching a subject that goes against the ideas presented in the Christian Bible. The judge of the court found that his teachings were not unconstitutional. Therefore, he let Scopes keep teaching the subject. This decision furthered religious freedom. -
Stromberg v. California
A 19-year-old girl named Yetta Stromberg was a member of the Young Communist League. She protested the United States government by holding up a red flag to represent communism. The people of California saw this as wrong, so they put her on trial. As a result, the judge saw that her actions were not unconstitutional. After this, people started to realize that freedom of speech doesn't always have to be verbal. -
NAACP v. Alabama
The NAACP(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of colored people. During the Civil Rights Movement, the state of Alabama demanded the NAACP to provide a list of every member in the organization. This action was seen as unconstitutional because it violated the members' associational rights. -
Bethel School District v. Fraser
A 17-year-old honor student named Matthew Fraser said some inappropriate things at a school assembly. The Bethel School District suspended Fraser for two days. Fraser decided to put the school district on trial because he felt that they were violating his right of speech. The jury decided that the district did the right thing to discipline Fraser. This decision showed that there are limits to expression. -
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
A New Jersey Boy Scouts leader named James Dale was revoked from the leadership after the organization discovered that he was homosexual. He felt he was being discriminated, so he took the organization to the New Jersey Supreme Court. After the court reviewed the case, they decided that the organization had the right to revoke him because he was expressing a message that the organization did not wish to convey. -
Morse v. Frederick
At a school event, a student named Joseph Frederick held up a sign that showed "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." The principal Deborah Morse took the sign and suspended Frederick for ten days. Frederick sued Morse for violating his freedom of speech. The Supreme Court ended up deciding that Morse did not violate Frederick's right of speech, but the punishment she gave him was far too harsh.
