In the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights guarantees individual freedoms. Specifically, the 1st Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech. All 50 states also have provisions that protect the freedom of expression, highlighting the importance of freedom of speech in a democracy. Freedom of speech allows leaders to emerge and use public persuasion to unite a group of people toward a common cause (e.g., Martin Luther King delivers his famous, “I Have a Dream,” speech). By practicing freedom of speech, individuals and groups can send their message to government officials in order to enact systemic change. However, this does not mean that one has the absolute freedom to say anything. Hate speech is not protected by this freedom, and the location and manner of speech may also be limited by the government.
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Topic
LOC Resource
LOC Title
Creating the Bill of Rights
LOC Short Description
This interactive web exhibit explores the creation of the Bill of Rights, with a special section on freedom of speech.
LOC Title
Global Legal Monitor: Freedom of Speech
LOC Short Description
Items published by the Law Library of Congress that detail legal issues surrounding freedom of speech.
LOC Title
Public Policy Topics Web Archive
LOC Short Description
A collection of current websites that include groups fighting to win and maintain civil rights, utilizing their freedom of expression.
LOC Title
Pointing Their Pens: Herblock and Fellow Cartoonists Confront the Issues
LOC Short Description
This exhibit demonstrates ways that political cartoonists exercise their freedom of expression.