Abe Fortas
Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas wrote several influential First Amendment opinions, including Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969).
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Civil War, U.S.
Abraham Lincoln and his administration restricted constitutional liberties during the Civil War, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Espionage Act of 1917 (1917)
The Espionage Act of 1917, passed two months after the U.S. entered World War I, criminalized the release of information that could hurt national security and causing insubordination or disloyalty in the military. The law was expanded in 1918 to criminalize dissent against the war effort, but that portion of the law (the Sedition Act) was repealed.
Hatch Act of 1939 (1939)
The Hatch Act of 1939, which limited the political participation and speech of federal employees, has survived First Amendment free expression challenges.
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Schenck v. United States (1919) demonstrated the limits to the First Amendment during wartime and affirmed the conviction of Charles Schenck for violating the Espionage Act.