"For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle."

[LevelUP]

This came across my Facebook feed this A. M. It's a fascinating discussion.

https://fb.watch/rVMIoM-9o2/

As an aside - I highly recommend attending the "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech at the Historic St. John's Church in Richmond. It's amazing they sit you in the pews. you could be seated next to a reenactor who is portraying one of our Founding Fathers. It is also often performed at Red Hill. Patrick Henry Jolly, Patrick Henry's fifth Great Grandson is a frequent guide/performer at Red Hill

It's pretty amazing that less than 10 years after the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution, Congress passed an act that was a blatant violation of freedom of speech.

The Sedition Act of 1798: This was part of a series of laws known as the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress during the presidency of John Adams. The Sedition Act of 1798 made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or certain government officials, including the President of the United States. It was controversial because it was seen as a violation of the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech and press. Many critics argued that it was an attempt by the Federalists to suppress political opposition, particularly criticism from the Democratic-Republican Party.

The Sedition Act of 1918: This was passed during World War I as an amendment to the Espionage Act of 1917. It made it a crime to willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of the U.S. government, the Constitution, the flag, or the armed forces, with the intent to incite resistance to the United States or to promote the cause of its enemies. This act was also controversial and led to numerous prosecutions of individuals who expressed anti-war or anti-government sentiments. It was repealed in 1920.