Bibliograph

Liberty's first crisis, Adams, Jefferson, and the misfits who saved free speech, Charles Slack

Type

Label

Liberty's first crisis, Adams, Jefferson, and the misfits who saved free speech, Charles Slack

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages [279]-324) and index

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Liberty's first crisis

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

903583256

Responsibility statement

Charles Slack

Sub title

Adams, Jefferson, and the misfits who saved free speech

Summary

"When the United States government passed the Bill of Rights in 1791, its uncompromising protection of speech and of the press were unlike anything the world had ever seen before. But by 1798, the once-dazzling young republic of the United States was on the verge of collapse: Partisanship gripped the weak federal government, British seizures threatened American goods and men on the high seas, and war with France seemed imminent as its own democratic revolution deteriorated into terror. Suddenly, the First Amendment, which protected harsh commentary of the weak government, no longer seemed as practical. So that July, President John Adams and the Federalists in control of Congress passed an extreme piece of legislation that made criticism of the government and its leaders a crime punishable by heavy fines and jail time. In Liberty's First Crisis, writer Charles Slack tells the story of the 1798 Sedition Act, the crucial moment when high ideals met real-world politics and the country's future hung in the balance" --, provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

The road to sedition -- The jaws of power -- The fever breaks -- The parchment barrier

Classification