The First Amendment

1. The First Amendment What are they? The Parts History Heroes Created by: Miss Priester Did You Know? Activities Resources

2. Where did the first amendment come from? Why were they created? Our founding fathers felt that as Americans we should be able to have certain rights and freedoms. They worked to create these 10 amendments found in the Bill of Rights to stop citizens from being religiously persecuted, protesters from being silenced, the press from being criticized by the government, and many others freedoms that we enjoy today. What are they? Click the links below to understand more. Are the Bill of Rights Necessary? Read First Principles Article Watch video History

3. Establishing the Bill of Rights Click the video to begin. Click the video again to pause. Are the Bill of Rights Necessary? History

4. As America won it’s fight for freedom, several important people in our history decided that a new form of government needed to be created. One of the ideas they came up with was the U.S. Constitution. This document was set up to be a system of checks and balances that included a strong executive branch, a representative legislature and a federal judiciary. The Bill of Rights was introduced to the U.S. Constitution in 1789. It was felt by many of the delegates such as James Madison and George Mason, that the Bill of Rights would help defend the rights of U.S. citizens and keep the federal government from interfering in their business. Because the Constitution specified what the government could do, but did not say what it could not do, the Bill of Rights was created. Are the Bill of Rights Necessary? History

5. The First Amendment was approved by Congress during its first session in 1789 History of the First Amendment • It was created in response to concerns that the Constitution did not sufficiently protect individual liberties. • It became part of the Constitution in 1791 along with the nine other amendments. • The First Amendment was intended to restrain only federal power. • The 1925 U.S. Supreme Court decision Gitlow v. New York, decided that state governments, as well as the federal government, are prohibited from restricting free expression under the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson James Madison George Mason The Parts

6. Drafting the Bill of Rights were, in Madison’s words, “extremely difficult and fatiguing.” Members of the Continental Congress challenged each other to duels at different points during debates. Having been chosen to represent Virginia in the Continental Congress and although the youngest delegate, he played a major role in the decisions of that body. Madison believed strongly in the Constitution and argued with other Virginians, Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee about it’s benefits. He, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, created a series of essays that came to be known as The Federalist Papers that talked about political theories that backed up the Constitution. However, Madison also felt that the Constitution needed a Bill of Rights too, so helped to write them in 1789. James Madison Thomas Jefferson History George Mason "A pure democracy is a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person.”~ James Madison The Parts

7. George Mason was one of the three delegates from Virginia who felt that the rights of citizens needed to be protected. He would cutoff his right hand, he said, before he would sign a constitution that did not include a Bill of Rights. Becoming frustrated, he left the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and being bitterly disappointed, became one of the Constitution's most vocal opponents. Mason was one of the richest planters in Virginia and was a justice in the Fairfax County Court system. In 1759 he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. Throughout his career Mason strongly held to his belief in the rule of reason and in the centrality of the natural rights of man. George Mason Thomas Jefferson History James Madison "The Eyes of the United States are turned upon this Assembly and their Expectations raised to a very anxious Degree." ~ George Mason The Parts

8. In 1787, Jefferson was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to France. He and good friend James Madison wrote letters to each other talking about the benefits of a Bill of Rights being added to the Constitution. Jefferson felt especially strong about the freedoms of speech, press, and religion, once writing that the people are entitled to these freedoms against every government on Earth. During his time as a senator in the Virginia General Assembly, Jefferson opposed the view that churches should be supported by state taxes, but instead that churches should be able to support themselves. In 1779, when Jefferson served in the Virginia House of Delegates, he first introduced a bill on religious liberty. Many people disagreed with him, but together with Madison, the bill finally passed in 1786, three years before the first amendment would be added to the Consititution. Thomas Jefferson George Mason James Madison History "The most sacred of the duties of a government is to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.~ Thomas Jefferson The Parts

9. It couldn’t have been just a coincidence that these three men were Virginians or felt strongly about the way our government should be governed. Jefferson, Madison, and Mason were all well educated, studied law, and believed in the rights of man. The Three Virginians • The three Virginians didn’t always agree but with their varying backgrounds, Madison’s in political theory, Jefferson’s in religion and writing, and Mason’s in community affairs and leadership, helped establish and contribute to the freedoms we are allowed to have today. • The Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason strongly influenced Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. • The Declaration of Independence also became the foundation for the Bill of Rights, written by James Madison. Thomas Jefferson James Madison George Mason The Parts

10. The Parts Speech Religion Assembly Petition Press Click on the appropriate link for more information. Heroes

11. This is the right to freely express yourself through all types of expression whether it’s by creating photographs, paintings, writing songs, making up dances, or dressing how you want. Freedom of Speech As an individual you can…. Disagree with someone who has a different opinion than you Say things about someone that are true Protest (without getting out of control) Religion Say racist and hate slogans Assembly Say any political belief Burn the flag Petition Press What are the limits to the freedom? Heroes

12. Even though the freedom of speech is there to protect you when you want to say your opinion, there are some things that this freedom will not let you do. Freedom of Speech Limits As an individual you can’t…. Threaten to blow up airplanes, schools or the president Use extremely crude language in a public form Use disrespectful, vulgar language in schools Religion Create too much social chaos Assembly Commit hate crimes Petition Press Heroes

13. You have two freedoms granted by the First Amendment regarding Religion. Freedom of Religion The Establishment Clause and The Free Exercise Clause • Can’t interfere with a person’s practice of their religion • But, religious actions and rituals can be limited • You are protected under this clause, even if your religion is small and not well known. • No official religion can be established • Allows for the separation of church and state • The government cannot give financial aid to churches Speech Assembly Petition Press Heroes

14. Once thought of as the lesser of the five fundamental freedoms, Assembly has gotten some major respect from the Supreme Court... Freedom of Assembly This freedom has helped Americans win the right to vote, fight for their civil rights and protest wars. This freedom allows you to: • Protest • Parade (with a permit) • Parade chanting hate slogans • Gang members can congregate in public Speech Religion Petition Press Heroes

15. Once upon a time if you didn’t like the king’s decisions you couldn’t say anything... and if you did... you would land yourself in hot water... No really, they would boil you. Freedom of Petition The Declaration of Independence in itself was an example of a petition, because it was a bold statement telling the world just why the U.S. was rebelling against its king in England. Here’s how you are protected: • You may sue the government for wrongs • You cannot be punished for exposing wrongs by the government • The courts decide the wrongs Speech Religion Assembly Press Heroes

16. Do you like blogging on myspace and facebook? That’s your right, because of this part of the first amendment. Freedom of the Press • Zenger was a NYC newspaper publisher who had to defend himself against libel • charges in 1735. • The Trial of John Peter Zenger is seen as the cornerstone court case for the freedom of the press. • Because of this freedom, you can sit in your room and share your thoughts on your blog and not worry that the government will • come after you for what you say. Speech Religion Assembly Petition What can’t you do? Heroes

17. CanCannot The Press… • Print any political position • Make fun of people, especially politicians • Expose wrongs by the government • Say things you might not agree with • Libel– intentionally injuring a person’s reputation by false facts • Disclose defense-security secrets • Detail how to make certain weapons Speech Religion Assembly Petition Heroes

18. Our founding fathers thought about citizen’s rights when setting up the government we would be ruled by. However, throughout our country’s history, citizens have come to the forefront to continue to fight for their rights and civil liberties. They’ve helped make the government change laws and make the country truly stand for the home of the brave. Can you think of any citizens who could be considered a First Amendment hero? Here are some things to consider: First Amendment Heroes • Did this person do something that was unpopular at the time? How did people react? • Did the person’s views come to be shared by a larger number of Americans? By a majority of Americans? • Do you think that exercising his or her First Amendment rights caused this person — or his or her family — to change? In what ways? Meet some First Amendment Heroes Did You Know?

19. Were some of these people included in your list of First Amendment heroes? Why would they be considered a hero? Coincidentally, each of these people stood up for the freedoms of speech, assembly, and petition. Would you do the same? Take a minute to explore each person’s role in the fight for the First Amendment. Know These Heroes? Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks Cesar Chavez How You Can Be A First Amendment Hero Did You Know?

20. In 1955, black leaders in Montgomery, Ala., launched a boycott of city buses because the bus company’s management and its drivers treated black passengers harshly. Black people always had to sit in the back of the bus and were not even allowed to sit if white people needed their seats. The leaders of the bus boycott picked a young newcomer as their spokesman. Martin Luther King Jr. was the minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. King’s leadership sustained the Montgomery bus boycotters through 13 months and made King the most influential figure of the civil rights era. He would lead speeches, marches, and conventions that would lead to a major social revolution and transform the ways social equality in America. His home was bombed. He was attacked and even stabbed. He spent many nights alone in jail. He received countless death threats. However, through him, the doctrine of nonviolence became the civil rights movement’s philosophy. Over and over, King preached the difficult message of peaceful confrontation. Demand your rights, he urged, but love your enemies. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks Cesar Chavez How You Can Be A First Amendment Hero

21. On a chilly December afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama, a black woman named Rosa Parks boarded a bus after a long and tiring day. She deposited a dime in the fare box and took an empty seat behind the painted line that marked the “colored section” of the bus. At the next stop two white men climbed on board. The bus driver turned and called out to the seated black people at the back of the bus, “Give them your seats.”      Three black passengers rose obediently, moved farther to the rear, and stood, but Rosa Parks refused to budge. The driver hailed a police car, and Rosa Parks was arrested. Like electricity, word of Rosa Parks’ arrest spread through Montgomery’s black community. She was not the first black person to defy the city’s rules on the buses. a plan and hurried it into action. Mrs. Parks was arrested on a Friday. Nixon proposed that all blacks boycott the city’s buses on the following Monday. The one-day boycott was a huge success. The Montgomery boycott was the first mass attack on the old segregationist South. Rosa Parks Martin Luther King, Jr. Cesar Chavez How You Can Be A First Amendment Hero

22. César Chávez was born in Arizona in 1927. His parents were farmers and business owners. But in 1937, the family lost its farm because of a bad business deal. By 1938, the Chávez family had joined some 300,000 migrant workers; they traveled all over California, picking whatever was in season. César Chávez worked part time in the fields while he was in school. After graduation, he began to work full time. He kept noticing that the labor contractors and the landowners exploited the workers. He tried reasoning with the farm owners about higher pay and better working conditions. But most of his fellow workers would not support him for fear of losing their jobs. Chávez became a part-time organizer for the Community Service Organization working to get farm workers to register to vote. He was so successful that he registered more than 2,000 workers in just two months.At the age of 35, he left his own well-paid job to devote all his time to organizing the farm workers into a union. With a strong leader to represent them, the workers began to demand their rights — fair pay and better working conditions. Without these rights, no one would work in the fields. After several years, changes in the California labor laws began to happen making a difference in the way migrant workers worked. Cesar Chavez Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks How You Can Be A First Amendment Hero

23. You, as a student can exercise your rights in a number of ways. Brainstorm some ideas on paper for how you can accomplish this. Here are some ideas to help: How You Can Be A First Amendment Hero • Speak out when you see injustices. • Be tolerant of the ideas of others; allow others to speak their minds. • Use words, not violence, to fight against ideas and actions with which you disagree. • Have confidence in your ideas; don’t be afraid to express them. Did You Know?

24. One of the sayings that students like to use most is, “It’s a free country!” That saying came from the first amendment because our founding fathers wanted citizens to be as free as possible! Did You Know? • James Madison was the only delegate to attend every session of the Constitutional Convention. • Most of the freedoms in the first amendment came from four other documents that had already been written, which include: the Magna Carta, 1215; the Petition of Rights, 1628; the Writ of Habeas Corpus, 1679; and the English Bill of Rights, 1689. • Three delegates, Mason, Randolph, and Gerry, refused to sign the Constitution because it did not originally include a Bill of Rights. Activities

25. Constitutional Convention Simulation - At this site, you can talk with delegates at the constitutional convention, find James Madison’s missing notes, complete a crossword puzzle on the Constitution and much more! Bill of Rights Video – Watch this video about the history of the Bill of Rights at the Bill of Rights Institute Constitution Relay Game – Play this game and see how much you know about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights First Amendment Quiz – Try this 15 question quiz from the Illinois First Amendment Center and see how much knowledge you know! Activities Resources

26. George Mason Biography James Madison BiographyThomas Jefferson Center Rosa Parks Biography Cesar Chavez Foundation Martin Luther King, Jr. Home Page First Amendment Center The Charters of Freedom Do You Have the Right? Resources Ben’s Guide to the US Government for Kids A Brief History of the Bill of Rights Illinois First Amendment Center Virginia Declaration of Rights Peopling the American Past Conclusion

27. THE END Congratulations! You have successfully finished the First Amendment Tutorial. Thanks for learning about the First Amendment today! Do you learn something you didn’t know before? How can you spread the news about the First Amendment? Home