The big picture: What you need to know and why.
The First Amendment protects free speech, but some types of speech are given greater protection than othersCourts have granted political speech the greatest protection under the First AmendmentCour...
In British common law, "free speech" was defined as no "prior restraint"; that is, people were free to say whatever they wanted, but they could then be prosecuted for sedition or seditious libelIn...
After 1787 Constitutional Convention, Anti-Federalist complained that the new Constitution had no Bill of RightsBill of Rights passed as Amendments 1-10 in 1791First Amendment contained guarantee o...
1798 Sedition Act passed by Federalist-dominated Congress mainly to silence opposition newspapersSedition Act allowed truth as a defense, required trial by juryBut Republican opponents argued the a...
