Historical Approaches to Free Speech

1
Historical Approaches to Free Speech

• Our ethnocentric views of freedom
• The connection between religion and politics as
  it relates to speech
• Very early civilizations privileging speech
• the Hebrews
• the Greeks
• Rome
• China

2
Some Early History

• The Puritans--Religious freedom, but little
  tolerance for criticism
• Classes of punishable speech in England
• ?Sedition ?Obsenity
• ?Blasphemy ?Private Libel
• John Peter Zengers trial in New York(1735)--jury
  nullification

3
The First Amendment in American History--Briefly

• Origins--Madison and Friends
• Early tests--
• the Sedition Acts of 1798
• the anti-slavery movement
• free speech for women
• Free speech and the Civil War
• The Comstock Act and control of pornography
• Early Decisions--Davis v. Massachusetts