Freedom's Fetters

Freedom's Fetters PDF Author: James Morton Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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Book Description
This first of two volumes on the Alien and Sedition Laws, therefore, concentrates as exclusively as possible on the enactment and enforcement of the Federalist measures of 1798 and attempts to assess their influence in shaping the development of the political process of republicanism, with its dual goals of majority rule and individual rights. A second volume, on the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, will deal with the opposition to this repressive legislation, the issues which this opposition raised concerning fundamental rights, and the significance of the Resolutions as an exposition upon the nature of the American constitutional system. Together they will form an integrated investigation of the relationship between liberty and authority in a popular form of government, thus constituting a chapter in the evolution of the American civil liberties tradition. - Preface.

Freedom's Fetters

Freedom's Fetters PDF Author: James Morton Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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Book Description
This first of two volumes on the Alien and Sedition Laws, therefore, concentrates as exclusively as possible on the enactment and enforcement of the Federalist measures of 1798 and attempts to assess their influence in shaping the development of the political process of republicanism, with its dual goals of majority rule and individual rights. A second volume, on the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, will deal with the opposition to this repressive legislation, the issues which this opposition raised concerning fundamental rights, and the significance of the Resolutions as an exposition upon the nature of the American constitutional system. Together they will form an integrated investigation of the relationship between liberty and authority in a popular form of government, thus constituting a chapter in the evolution of the American civil liberties tradition. - Preface.

Freedom's Fetters

Freedom's Fetters PDF Author: James Morton Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Black History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Criminal Dissent

Criminal Dissent PDF Author: Wendell Bird
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674976134
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 561

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Book Description
In the first complete account of prosecutions under the Alien and Sedition Acts, dozens of previously unknown cases come to light, revealing the lengths to which the John Adams administration went in order to criminalize dissent. The campaign to prosecute dissenting Americans under the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 ignited the first battle over the Bill of Rights. Fearing destructive criticism and “domestic treachery” by Republicans, the administration of John Adams led a determined effort to safeguard the young republic by suppressing the opposition. The acts gave the president unlimited discretion to deport noncitizens and made it a crime to criticize the president, Congress, or the federal government. In this definitive account, Wendell Bird goes back to the original federal court records and the papers of Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and finds that the administration’s zeal was far greater than historians have recognized. Indeed, there were twice as many prosecutions and planned deportations as previously believed. The government went after local politicians, raisers of liberty poles, and even tavern drunks but most often targeted Republican newspaper editors, including Benjamin Franklin’s grandson. Those found guilty were sent to prison or fined and sometimes forced to sell their property to survive. The Federalists’ support of laws to prosecute political opponents and opposition newspapers ultimately contributed to the collapse of the party and left a large stain on their record. The Alien and Sedition Acts launched a foundational debate on press freedom, freedom of speech, and the legitimacy of opposition politics. The result was widespread revulsion over the government’s attempt to deprive Americans of their hard-won liberties. Criminal Dissent is a potent reminder of just how fundamental those rights are to a stable democracy.

The NSA Report

The NSA Report PDF Author: President's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, The
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400851270
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
The official report that has shaped the international debate about NSA surveillance "We cannot discount the risk, in light of the lessons of our own history, that at some point in the future, high-level government officials will decide that this massive database of extraordinarily sensitive private information is there for the plucking. Americans must never make the mistake of wholly 'trusting' our public officials."—The NSA Report This is the official report that is helping shape the international debate about the unprecedented surveillance activities of the National Security Agency. Commissioned by President Obama following disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden, and written by a preeminent group of intelligence and legal experts, the report examines the extent of NSA programs and calls for dozens of urgent and practical reforms. The result is a blueprint showing how the government can reaffirm its commitment to privacy and civil liberties—without compromising national security.

Reclaiming the American Revolution

Reclaiming the American Revolution PDF Author: W. Watkins
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137097949
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Reclaiming the American Revolution examines the struggles for political ascendancy between Federalists and the Republicans in the early days of the American Republic. Watkins views the struggle through the lens of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, charters written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison respectively, that were responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by Federalists that, among other things, made criticism of the federal government a crime. Viewing those acts as a threat to states' rights, as well as indicative of a national government that sought supreme power, the Resolutions restated the principles of the American Revolution and sought to return the nation to the tenets of the Constitution, in which rights for all were protected by checking the power of the national government.

The Fate of the Revolution

The Fate of the Revolution PDF Author: Lorri Glover
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press+ORM
ISBN: 1421420031
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
The history of the 1788 Virginia Ratification Convention explores the Constitutional debates that decided the nation’s fate and still resonate today. In May 1788, elected delegates from every county in Virginia gathered in Richmond where they would either accept or reject the highly controversial United States Constitution. The rest of the country kept an anxious vigil, keenly aware that without Virginia—the young Republic’s largest and most populous state—the Constitution was doomed. In The Fate of the Revolution, Lorri Glover explains why Virginia’s wrangling over ratification led to such heated political debate. Virginians were roughly split in their opinions, as were the delegates they elected. Patrick Henry, for example, the greatest orator of the age, opposed James Madison, the intellectual force behind the Constitution. The two sides were so evenly matched that in the last days of the convention, the savviest political observers still couldn’t predict the outcome. Mining an incredible wealth of sources, including letters, pamphlets, newspaper articles, and transcripts, Glover brings these political discussions to life, exploring the constitutional questions that echo across American history.

The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 PDF Author: Terri Diane Halperin
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 142141970X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
What happens to democracy when dissent is treated as treason? In May 1798, after Congress released the XYZ Affair dispatches to the public, a raucous crowd took to the streets of Philadelphia. Some gathered to pledge their support for the government of President John Adams, others to express their disdain for his policies. Violence, both physical and political, threatened the safety of the city and the Union itself. To combat the chaos and protect the nation from both external and internal threats, the Federalists swiftly enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. Oppressive pieces of legislation aimed at separating so-called genuine patriots from objects of suspicion, these acts sought to restrict political speech, whether spoken or written, soberly planned or drunkenly off-the-cuff. Little more than twenty years after Americans declared independence and less than ten since they ratified both a new constitution and a bill of rights, the acts gravely limited some of the very rights those bold documents had promised to protect. In The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, Terri Diane Halperin discusses the passage of these laws and the furor over them, as well as the difficulties of enforcement. She describes in vivid detail the heated debates and tempestuous altercations that erupted between partisan opponents: one man pulled a gun on a supporter of the act in a churchyard; congressmen were threatened with arrest for expressing their opinions; and printers were viciously beaten for distributing suspect material. She also introduces readers to the fraught political divisions of the late 1790s, explores the effect of immigration on the new republic, and reveals the dangers of partisan excess throughout history. Touching on the major sedition trials while expanding the discussion beyond the usual focus on freedom of speech and the press to include the treatment of immigrants, Halperin’s book provides a window through which readers can explore the meaning of freedom of speech, immigration, citizenship, the public sphere, the Constitution, and the Union.

Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties

Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties PDF Author: Paul Finkelman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351269631
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2570

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Book Description
Originally published in 2006, the Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties, is a comprehensive 3 volume set covering a broad range of topics in the subject of American Civil Liberties. The book covers the topic from numerous different areas including freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. The Encyclopedia also addresses areas such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, slavery, censorship, crime and war. The book’s multidisciplinary approach will make it an ideal library reference resource for lawyers, scholars and students.

The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America

The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America PDF Author: David Schultz
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317457137
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 1234

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Book Description
Driven by the growing reality of international terrorism, the threats to civil liberties and individual rights in America are greater today than at any time since the McCarthy era in the 1950s. At this critical time when individual freedoms are being weighed against the need for increased security, this exhaustive three-volume set provides the most detailed coverage of contemporary and historical issues relating to basic rights covered in the United States Constitution. The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America examines the history and hotly contested debates surrounding the concept and practice of civil liberties. It provides detailed history of court cases, events, Constitutional amendments and rights, personalities, and themes that have had an impact on our freedoms in America. The Encyclopedia appraises the state of civil liberties in America today, and examines growing concerns over the limiting of personal freedoms for the common good. Complete with selected relevant documents and a chronology of civil liberties developments, and arranged in A-Z format with multiple indexes for quick reference, The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America includes in-depth coverage of: freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly, as outlined in the first amendment; protection against unreasonable search and seizure, as outlined in the fourth amendment; criminal due process rights, as outlined in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth amendments; property rights, economic liberties, and other rights found within the text of the United States Constitution; Supreme Court justices, presidents, and other personalities, focusing specifically on their contributions to or effect on civil liberties; concepts, themes, and events related to civil liberties, both practical and theoretical; court cases and their impact on civil liberties.

Civil Liberties in America

Civil Liberties in America PDF Author: Samuel Walker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1576079287
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
A concise, authoritative guide to civil liberties issues in American society, from freedom of speech and religious liberty to due process, equal protection, and privacy. Written for a general audience, this work clearly defines civil liberties and explains their legal basis in the Bill of Rights, state constitutions, legal statutes, and administrative regulations. It reviews the subject's history from 1917 to the present, and covers the full range of civil liberties issues: the First Amendment, due process, equal protection, and privacy. In addition to extensive material on past controversies such as the Scopes trial and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the book discusses important contemporary issues such as censorship on the Internet and drug testing. The coverage also examines conflicting civil liberties issues such as hate speech, which pits one person's freedom of expression against another's right to equal protection. The book contains extensive bibliographic references to books and articles and a long list of website links to organizations active on all sides of today's civil liberties controversies.