When is the freedom of the press more important than classified foreign policy information? The Pentagon Papers Trial attempts to answer this constitutional quandary. Included in this site is a summary of the trial, the actual Pentagon...

A brief and concise history of publisher and editor Mary Katherine Goddard. Goddard was an early activist and advocate of Freedom of the Press.

American colonists expected to have "English rights" as supported by the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. See how these rights were applied in the trial of John Peter Zenger, whose acquittal reflected the right of freedom of...

Scholastic offers a series of printable panels and classroom activities in PDF format that focus on a U.S. citizen's right to express his- or herself. Content focuses on the Bill of Rights and its provisions for freedom of religion,...

Hateful as these actions may seem to many people, do groups still have the right to protest under the First Amendment? Read about the case that the Supreme Court is considering involving protests at a military funeral.

Relevant resource on free speech in which students examine how different societies define freedom of expression. Through multi-media sources students look at historical sources as well as current controveries over free speech.

Mary Dyer was on a spiritual quest to Boston, to Portsmouth, to Newport, and to the northwest coast of England, where she became an ardent member of a new religion - a Quaker, or a member of the Society of Friends. Determined to spread...

Read about the origins and impact of the McCarran Internal Security Act which President Harry Truman called "the greatest danger to freedom of speech, press and assembly, since the Alien and Sedition Laws of 1798." Find out how a fear of...

A lengthy report from the Human Rights Watch on the conduct of the war in Iraq as of the end of 2003, and how the use of "cluster munitions" caused many unnecessary civilian deaths. The report also examines the many Iraqi violations that...

A 2013 letter to the FBI, if real, suggests the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris survived one of the most daring and dangerous prison breaks of all time. It was one of the most ingenious prison breaks of all time -- if it worked. In...

Article describes the dilemma of African Americans during WWII, including legislation attempting to restrict the black press.

Kathleen T. Rhem analyzes President George W. Bush's announcement that the combat in Iraq has ceased. (May 1, 2003)

Biography on minister, journalist, and anti-slavery spokesperson Elijah Lovejoy, who was killed by a mob when he was 34. This well written bio focuses on the events on the night of his death.

Find out how the First Amendment serves citizens in real life by reading about Daniel Ellsberg, Mary Beth Tinker, and Alton T. Lemon, all of whom were principal litigants in landmark Supreme Court cases regarding the freedom of expression.

A lesson for exploring the history of South Africa, the system of apartheid, and the changes that have come about since the end of the apartheid era. Lesson has broad applicability to learning about unique methods that can be used to...

In this transcript of President George W. Bush's radio announcement to the country concerning the invasion of Iraq, he explains the nation's reasons for entering into war. (March 22, 2003)

Activities for students that make learning about the 1st Amendment relevant by applying landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to the five parts of the First Amendment and rights to freedom of religion, speech,...