First Amendment Freedoms

Michael C. LeMay, PhD, is professor emeritus of political science at California State University, San Bernardino.

The excellent scholarly essays and the information consolidated here will be valuable to students of U.S. history and the Constitution.

• Preface,1 Background and History,Introduction: Why the Bill of Rights Established the First Amendment's Freedoms,Freedom of Assembly,Freedom of the Press,Freedom of Speech,Freedom of Religion,The Constitution and the First Amendment,The Rise of Homegrown Minority Religions,The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons),The Seventh-Day Adventist Church,Jehovah's Witnesses,The Nation of Islam,Non-Christian Minority Religions and First Amendment Freedoms,Jewish Americans,Muslim Americans,Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism,Native American Religions,Atheists and Agnostics,The Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause,Conclusion,Further Reading,2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions,Introduction,Freedom of Religion and the Establishment Clause,Aid to Church-Related Schools,Religion in Public Education,Government-Sponsored Religious Displays,Prayers in Public Schools,Sabbatarian Laws (Blue Laws),Religious Institutions Functioning as Government Agencies,Tax Exemption to Religious Institutions,Legislative Chaplains and Prayers,Standing to Sue in Establishment Challenges,Teaching Creationism in Public Schools,Unequal Government Treatment of Religious Groups,Free Exercise Clause,Solicitations by Religious Groups,Religious Tests for Public Benefits or Services,Free Exercise and Public Education,Religion and the Right to Work,Government Intrusion into Church Internal Affairs,Free Exercise versus Eminent Domain,Free Exercise of Religion versus Freedom of Speech,Polygamy and Religious Freedom Rights,Ritual Sacrifice of Animals and Religious Freedom,Freedom of Speech,Freedom of the Press,Freedom to Assemble and Petition the Government for Redress of Grievances,Conclusion,Further Reading,3 Perspectives,Introduction,The First Amendment and the Struggle for Civil Rights,Kenneth BedellCreationism and Religious Freedom,Michelle D. DeardorffThe First Amendment and the School House Gate: The Rise, Decline, and Uncertain Future of Student Speech Rights,Joshua DunnMexican Americans and the First Amendment,Devin FernandesThe Supreme Court and Freedom of Religion,Timothy R. Johnson and Siyu LiThe First Amendment, Bible Reading, and the Use of "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance,Scott A. MerrimanWhen Speech Becomes Untrustworthy,John R. VileEstablishment of Religion by the Free Exercise Thereof,David L. WeddleThe First Amendment and Native American Religion,David Zeh4 Profiles,Introduction,Governmental Organizations,Attorney General and Solicitor General of the United States,Office of the President of the United States (POTUS),Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS),U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS),U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),Nongovernmental Organizations,Access Now,American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC),American Atheists (AA),American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),Americans for Religious Liberty (ARL),Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU),Bill of Rights Institute (BRI),Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR),Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),First Amendment Coalition (FAC),Freedom Forum Institute (FFI),Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF),Freedom House,Free Speech Center,Human Rights House Foundation,Jehovah's Witnesses (JW),Knight First Amendment Freedom Institute,National Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty (PEARL),Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA),People: Governmental Stakeholders,William Brennan (1906–1997), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,Warren Burger (1907–1995), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,George W. Bush (1946–), President of the United States,Ted Cruz (1970–), United States Senator,Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933–2020), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,Alberto Gonzales (1955–), Attorney General of the United States,Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), Secretary of the Treasury,Charles Evan Hughes (1862–1948), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), President of the United States,Anthony Kennedy (1936–), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,Joseph Lieberman (1942–), United States Senator,James Madison (1751–1836), President of the United States,Barack Obama (1961–), President of the United States,Sandra Day O'Connor (1930–), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,William Rehnquist (1924–2005), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,John Roberts (1955–), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,Antonin Scalia (1936–2016), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,Potter Stewart (1915–1985), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,Donald J. Trump (1946–), President of the United States,Earl Warren (1891–1974), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,People: Nongovernmental Stakeholders,Eugene Debs (1855–1926),James Dobson (1936–),Madalyn Murray O'Hair (1919–1995),Ron Reagan (1958–),Ralph Reed (1961–),Melissa Rogers (unknown–),John Witte Jr. (1959–),John Peter Zenger (1697–1746),Further Reading,5 Data and Documents,Introduction,Data,Table 5.1. Religious Freedom Supreme Court Cases,Table 5.2. Key Supreme Court Cases on First Amendment Issues,Documents,The Maryland Toleration Act (1649),The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786),Constitutional Provisions,Letter from James Madison to Edward Livingston (July 10, 1822),Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs's Order of Extermination, Missouri Executive Order Number 44 (1838),The Espionage Act (June 15, 1917),Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971),The American Indian Religious Freedom Act (August 11, 1978),Denial of Equal Access Prohibited (1984),Edwards v. Aguillard (1987),Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn et al. (2011),6 Resources,Introduction,Print Resources,Books,Scholarly Journals,Nonprint Resources,Films,Videos,7 Chronology,Glossary,Index,