An indispensable liberty : the fight for free speech in nineteenth-century America / edited by Mary M. Cronin.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Cronin, Mary M. (Mary Margaret), editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Freedom of speech--United States--History.

Freedom of speech.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (238 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Carbondale, [Illinois] : Southern Illinois University Press, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"This collection of eleven essays examines nineteenth-century legal and extralegal attempts to restrict freedom of speech and the press as well as the efforts of others to push back against those restrictions"-- Provided by publisher.

"Most Americans today view freedom of speech as a bedrock of all other liberties, a defining feature of American citizenship. During the nineteenth century, the popular concept of American freedom of speech was still being formed. In An Indispensable Liberty: The Fight for Freedom of Expression in the Nineteenth Century, contributors examine attempts to restrict freedom of speech and the press during and after the Civil War. The nine essays that make up this collection show how, despite judicial, political, and public proclamations of support for freedom of expression, factors like tradition, gender stereotypes, religion, and fear of social unrest often led to narrow judicial and political protection for freedom of expression by people whose views upset the status quo. These views, expressed by abolitionists, suffragists, and labor leaders, challenged rigid cultural mores of the day, and many political and cultural leaders feared that extending freedom of expression to agitators would undermine society. The Civil War intensified questions about the duties and privileges of citizenship. After the war, key conflicts over freedom of expression were triggered by Reconstruction, suffrage, the Comstock Act, and questions about libel. The volume's contributors blend social, cultural, and intellectual history to untangle the complicated strands of nineteenth-century legal thought. By chronicling the development of modern-day notions of free speech, this timely collection offers both a valuable exploration of the First Amendment in nineteenth-century America and a useful perspective on challenges to today's civil liberties. "-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION - Mary M. Cronin and Sandra Davidson

PART 1

1. A PRESS ABLAZE - Lee Jolliffe

2. "PALPABLE INJURY" - David W. Bulla

3. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN A SLAVE SOCIETY AT WAR - Debra Reddin van Tuyll

4. FIGHT, FOLD, FLIP, OR FLEE - Debra Reddin van Tuyll, Nancy McKenzie Dupont, and Joseph Hayden

5. DISTURBING THE PUBLIC PEACE - Erika J. Pribanic-Smith

PART 2

6. THE ROCKY ROAD TO TRUTH AS A DEFENSE - Sandra Davidson

7. KEEPING THE LIGHT UNDER THE BUSHEL - Paulette D. Kilmer

8. NO RIGHTS FOR THE WORKING MAN - Jon Bekken

9. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION FOR WOMEN - Lee Jolliffe, Paulette D. Kilmer, and Sandra Davidson

10. THE NATIONAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION - Janice R. Wood

11. DAVIS V. MASSACHUSETTS - Mary M. Cronin

Contributors

Index

Back Cover.

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-8093-3473-9

OCLC:

946788619