Search
Showing results for “Freedom of Speech in the US”
Jump to a topic
Freedom of Speech in the USFreedom of speech—the right to express opinions and ideas without government interference—is enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The amendment states: "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." The principle traces its philosophical roots to ancient Greece, where the concept of "parrhesia"—the obligation to speak freely, even to those in power—shaped early democratic thought.
Although the First Amendment was ratified in 1791, its protections were limited in scope for much of the 19th century. This was because the Bill of Rights originally applied only to the federal government—not to the states—until the Supreme Court gradually incorporated its protections through the 14th Amendment. In the 1920s, legal advocates first began using the First Amendment to challenge state and local laws.
Since then, landmark cases have defined which speech the Constitution protects and which it does not. Today, the United States is widely considered one of the most speech-protective nations in the world.Explore Freedom of Speech in the US
What we've found
'We are on the move now ... Like an idea whose time has come, not even the marching of mighty armies can halt us. We are moving to the land of freedom ...'- Martin Luther King Jr. at the conclusion of the five-day, 54-mile march 'If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time.'- Activist Dorothy Height (1912-2010) the GuardianThe First Amendment protects 5 distinct freedomsMost Americans cite the amendment on free speech, but the First Amendment also protects religion, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government—five separate guarantees in a single sentence. National Constitution CenterAuthor David Foster Wallace's 'This Is Water' speech provides guidance for adulthoodWallace, a university professor and famed author of "Infinite Jest," delivered this commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005. Wallace sought to avoid the usual conventions and instead gave future grads honest, direct advice for navigating everyday life as white-collar workers and challenging one's own self-centeredness. Jeffrey DaneseFDR inspired Rockwell's 'Four Freedoms'In his 1941 State of the Union speech, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt defined "Four Freedoms" that democratic societies provided: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Rockwell conceived of a series of paintings based on those values, using his small-town examples of the principles in action. Below is "Freedom From Want." Norman Rockwell's 'Freedom of Speech' has become an internet memeThe famous painting, which portrays a man in work clothes speaking up in a crowd of men in suits, has become a companion image for internet users posting unpopular or controversial opinions. (Some users may experience a paywall.) The New York TimesThe US framework of government has influenced the constitutions of many other countriesIn 1787, the US Constitution introduced a system built on the separation of powers and individual liberties, including freedom of speech and religion. Though widely influential, its rigidity has made it less of a modern model as countries adopt more adaptable constitutional frameworks. 1440
Try another search?