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Free to Worship
Connecticut passes the first dissenter statute and allows “full liberty of worship” to Anglicans and Baptists. -
Ratifying the Bill of Rights
Virginia becomes the 11th state to approve the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, thereby ratifying the Bill of Rights. -
Gag Rule
The U.S. House of Representatives adopts gag rules preventing discussion of antislavery proposals. -
Fake Lincoln Proclamation
By order of President Lincoln, Gen. John A. Dix, a Union commander, suppresses the New York Journal of Commerce and the New York World and arrests the newspapers’ editors after both papers publish a forged presidential proclamation purporting to order another draft of 400,000 men. -
First Free-Press case
U.S. Supreme Court determines it does not have jurisdiction to review the “contempt” conviction of U.S. senator and Denver newspaper publisher Thomas Patterson for articles and a cartoon that criticized the state supreme court. -
Formation of the Espionage Act
The Civil Liberties Bureau, a forerunner of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is formed in response to passage of the Espionage Act. -
Sedition Act
Congress passed the Sedition Act, which forbids spoken or printed criticism of the U.S. government, the Constitution or the flag. -
Sedition Act Repealed
Congress repeals the Sedition Acts. -
Franklin Roosevelt Pardons
President Franklin D. Roosevelt pardons those convicted under the Espionage and Sedition Acts. -
Finally Ratified
Georgia, Massachusetts and Connecticut finally ratify the Bill of Rights. -
New York v. Ferber
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in New York v. Ferber that child pornography is not protected by the First Amendment. -
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Congress passes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
