Debs, founder of the American Railroad Union (ARU) urged socialists to resist militarism and went to prison for nearly 3 years.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 10: Kate Richards O'Hare, an American Socialist Party activist, toured the country making speeches against the war. The following fact sheet continues with facts about the Espionage and Sedition Acts passed during WW1.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 8: The US government prosecuted over 2,100 people under the Espionage and Sedition Acts.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 9: Political dissenters bore the brunt of the repression. The info about the Espionage and Sedition Acts provides interesting facts and important information about this important event that occured during the presidency of the 28th President of the United States of America. Prohibited people from obstructing recruitment in the United States armed forcesĮspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 6: The Espionage Act virtually gave US Post Office officials dictatorial control over circulation of the nation's supplementary press.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 7: Congress augmented the Espionage Act with the Sedition Act in order to prohibit speaking, writing, or publishing any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language intended to cause contempt, scorn or disrespect for the United States government, or the US Constitution.Prohibited people from inciting insubordination, disloyalty, or mutiny in the military.Prohibited people from intentionally making false reports in order to interfere with the success of the military or naval forces. It gave the government “wide powers to suppress free expression” and the “ability to punish unfriendly opinions”Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 5: The Espionage Act prohibited: Martin Madden of Illinois, famously stated that "while we are fighting to establish the democracy of the world, we ought not to do the thing that will establish autocracy in America."Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 4: The 1917 Espionage Act authorized federal officials to arrest people whose opinions "threatened national security". The United States adopted a policy of neutrality at the start of the war and did not enter conflict until April 6, 1917.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 2: The Espionage and Sedition Acts enacted during WW1 were the first forays since 1798 into federal regulation of First Amendment in the Bill of Rights that detailed the Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Expression in the Constitution.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 3: The passage of the Espionage and Sedition Acts led to much argument, objections and disagreements. The following fact sheet provides interesting facts and information on Espionage and Sedition Acts passed during WW1.įacts about the Espionage and Sedition Acts for kidsĮspionage and Sedition Acts Fact 1: WW1 began in Europe on July 28, 1914. The 1918 Sedition Act of 1918 expanded the meaning of the Espionage Act to make illegal any public expression of opposition to World War 1. The 1917 Espionage Act penalized disloyalty, giving false reports, or otherwise interfering with the war effort. The Sedition Act of 1918 made it a federal offense to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the Constitution, the government, the American uniform, or the US flag.Įspionage and Sedition Acts Facts for kids.Its purpose was to make it illegal to write or speak anything critical of American involvement in the war. Congress amended the Espionage law with the Sedition Act of 1918. The law also threatened individuals convicted of obstructing the draft (military recruitment) with $10,000 fines and 20 years in jail.
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