Difference between revisions of "Sedition Act of 1918"
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| − | The '''Sedition Act''' of 1918 was an amendment to the [[Espionage Act]] of 1917 passed at the urging of [[POTUS|President]] [[Woodrow Wilson]], who was concerned that any | + | The '''Sedition Act''' of 1918 was an amendment to the [[Espionage Act]] of 1917 passed at the urging of [[POTUS|President]] [[Woodrow Wilson]], who was concerned that any antiwar speech and organizing to oppose the drafty and the war effort constituted a real threat to an Americ]] victory. |
The Sedition Act forbade Americans to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces during war. The act also allowed the [[Postmaster General]] to deny mail delivery to dissenters of government policy during wartime. | The Sedition Act forbade Americans to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces during war. The act also allowed the [[Postmaster General]] to deny mail delivery to dissenters of government policy during wartime. | ||
| − | The | + | The Espionage Act made it a crime to help wartime enemies of the United States, but the Sedition Act made it a crime to utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the United States' form of government. |
| − | + | Socialist [[Eugene V. Debs]] was sentenced to 10 years in prison under this law for trying to impede the draft. Disloyal activists including members of the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] union were also imprisoned during World War I for their anti-war dissent under the provisions of the Sedition Act. Anti-war protestors were arrested by the hundreds as speaking out against the draft and the war was illegal under this law. | |
| − | + | The Sedition Act was upheld as Constitutional by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in ''[[Schenck v. United States]]''. | |
| − | The Sedition Act was repealed in 1921 | + | The Sedition Act was repealed in 1921. |
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
*[[Sedition Act]] | *[[Sedition Act]] | ||
*[[Sedition Act of 1798]] | *[[Sedition Act of 1798]] | ||
[[Category:United States Law]] | [[Category:United States Law]] | ||
Revision as of 08:06, November 14, 2009
The Sedition Act of 1918 was an amendment to the Espionage Act of 1917 passed at the urging of President Woodrow Wilson, who was concerned that any antiwar speech and organizing to oppose the drafty and the war effort constituted a real threat to an Americ]] victory.
The Sedition Act forbade Americans to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces during war. The act also allowed the Postmaster General to deny mail delivery to dissenters of government policy during wartime.
The Espionage Act made it a crime to help wartime enemies of the United States, but the Sedition Act made it a crime to utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the United States' form of government.
Socialist Eugene V. Debs was sentenced to 10 years in prison under this law for trying to impede the draft. Disloyal activists including members of the Industrial Workers of the World union were also imprisoned during World War I for their anti-war dissent under the provisions of the Sedition Act. Anti-war protestors were arrested by the hundreds as speaking out against the draft and the war was illegal under this law.
The Sedition Act was upheld as Constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States.
The Sedition Act was repealed in 1921.