The First Amendment: An Illustrated History

The First Amendment "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The First Amendment to the Constitution allows us to believe and say what we want. But rights and the rule of law are fragile things, and the history, philosophy, argument and wrangling that it took to get to the First Amendment is a fascinating journey. From the classical period to Martin Luther to colonial America, this book investigates the background and evolution of the speech and religion clauses -- originally interdependent, but now separated in the Amendment's modern interpretation. Robert McWhirter employs a witty, light touch that manages to relate the arguments around the Amendment to its interpretation in popular culture and belies the deep scholarship and research that underpins the work. This lively account is written for the interested citizen, as well as the civics student, and there are surprising, and interesting, discursions into the way the events and personalities surrounding the First Amendment have appeared in literature, film, sports and popular culture. The book is part of a collection chronicling the origins, history, and interpretation, of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution - the Bill of Rights.

Author: Robert McWhirter
Publisher: Constitution Press
Published: 06/22/2017
Pages: 112
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.62lbs
Size: 10.00h x 7.00w x 0.31d
ISBN13: 9781945682032
ISBN10: 1945682035
BISAC Categories:
- Law | Civil Rights
- History | United States | General
- Law | Constitutional