Freedom of Assembly and Petition: The First Amendment, Its Constitutional History and the Contemporary Debate (Bill of Rights)

The First Amendment of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights provides expressive freedoms through a number of 'clauses'. Among these, the least explored clauses are the Assembly and Petition Clauses, which provide that 'Congress shall make no law...abridging...the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances'. Most scholarly literature about the First Amendment omits consideration of these core concepts, which date back at least as far as the Magna Carta. This omission exists despite the fact that the US Supreme Court has termed these rights 'among the most precious of liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights' (United Mine Workers v. Illinois Bar Association [1967]). This is the first anthology of scholarship about the Assembly and Petition Clauses, and as such it is a valuable addition to First Amendment literature. Editor Margaret M Russell has assembled articles that shed light on the origins, history, scope, and contemporary relevance of the rights of petition and assembly. This lucidly written, well-organised anthology will be of great value to students and scholars of the law, American history, and political science, as well as anyone with an interest in our basic rights.