Triumph and Tragedy: Free Speech (Triumph and Tragedy in History)

This workbook provides everything students need to actively investigate and discuss two landmark cases concerning the regulation of free speech. In unambiguous terms, the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, among other things, that Congress shall make no law "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." Still, the precise meaning of that language has been continually debated, litigated, and reinterpreted, in case after case, for more than two centuries. When should the government limit what its citizens say or write? How should we balance individual rights with societal and government interests? "Triumph and Tragedy: Free Speech" lets students explore these questions in an innovative, hands-on way. This remarkable workbook provides a general introduction to the evolution of free speech doctrine in the United States, then focuses students on two defining moments: Schenk v. United States (a Supreme Court decision concerning whether the defendant had a First Amendment right to speak against the draft during World War I); and Texas v. Johnson (concerning the right to burn the flag in protest). By guiding students step-by-step through these cases with innovative activities and a wealth of supporting materials, "Triumph and Tragedy: Free Speech" turns the classroom into a lively arena for probing a defining American issue.