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Espionage and Sedition Acts Facts for kids: Fast Fact Sheet
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
about the
Espionage and Sedition Acts.
When were the Espionage and Sedition Acts passed? The
Espionage Act was passed on June 15, 1917
and extended by the Sedition Act on
May 16, 1918
What was the purpose of the
Espionage and Sedition Acts of WW1? The reasons Congress passed the
Espionage and Sedition Acts during WW1
were:
● The purpose of
the Espionage Act was to prohibit
interference with military
operations, to ban support of U.S.
enemies during wartime or to promote
insubordination in the military.
● The Espionage Act gave US postal officials the
authority to prohibit the mailing of newspapers and magazines.
The law also threatened individuals convicted of obstructing the
draft (military recruitment) with $10,000 fines and 20 years in
jail.
● The U.S. Congress
amended the Espionage law with the
Sedition Act of 1918. Its purpose
was to make it illegal to write or
speak anything critical of American
involvement in the war.
● 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.
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Facts for kids
The 1917 Espionage Act penalized disloyalty, giving
false reports, or otherwise interfering with the war effort. 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.
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet provides interesting facts and information on Espionage and Sedition Acts
passed during WW1.
Facts
about the Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 1:
WW1 began in Europe on July
28, 1914. The United States adopted a policy of
neutrality at the start of the war and did not enter
conflict until April 6, 1917.
Espionage 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.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
3: The passage of the Espionage and Sedition Acts
led to much argument, objections and disagreements. 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."
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
4: The 1917 Espionage Act authorized federal
officials to arrest people whose opinions "threatened national
security". It gave the government “wide powers to suppress free
expression” and the “ability to punish unfriendly opinions”
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
5: The Espionage Act prohibited:
● Prohibited people from intentionally
making false reports in order to interfere with the success of
the military or naval forces
● Prohibited people from inciting
insubordination, disloyalty, or mutiny in the military
● Prohibited people from obstructing
recruitment in the United States armed forces
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
6: The Espionage Act virtually gave US Post Office
officials dictatorial control over circulation of the nation's
supplementary press.
Espionage 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.
Continued...
Facts
about the Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids
1916 Espionage and Sedition Acts
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.
Facts
about the Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about the Espionage and Sedition Acts
passed during WW1.
Facts
about the Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
8: The US government prosecuted over
2,100 people under the Espionage and Sedition Acts.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
9: Political dissenters bore the
brunt of the repression. Eugene V. Debs,
founder of the American Railroad Union (ARU)
urged socialists to resist militarism and went to
prison for nearly 3 years.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
10: Kate Richards O'Hare, an American
Socialist Party activist, toured the country making
speeches against the war. She served 1 year in
prison for stating that American women were "nothing
more nor less than brood sows, to raise children to
get into the army and be made into fertilizer."
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
11: 169 Political dissenters and
leaders of the radical labor organization, the
International Workers of the World (IWW) were
arrested and imprisoned
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact
12: Rose Pastor Stokes was sentenced
to 10 years' imprisonment for writing in a
newspaper, "I am for the people, while the
government is for the profiteers."
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 13:
Robert Goldstein, a motion
picture producer, had made a movie about the
American Revolutionary War called "The Spirit of
'76" before the United States entered WW1. When
Goldstein released the movie, after the declaration
of war, he was accused of undermining American
morale. In the legal case of United States v. Motion
Picture Film "The Spirit of '76" (1917), a federal
court upheld government seizure of the film because
it depicted atrocities committed by British soldiers
and might therefore undermine support for an ally.
The producer, Robert Goldstein, was sentenced to a
10 year prison term and fined $5,000.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 14:
The Supreme Court Limited Free
Speech in the landmark case of Schenck v the United
States (1919). The Supreme Court ruled that an
individual’s freedom of speech could be curbed when
the words spoken constituted a “clear and present
danger.”
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 15:
The passage of the Espionage and
Sedition Acts lead to a climate of fear and
suspicion in America. German Americans under
suspicion and mobs attacked socialists, labor
activists and pacifists.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 16:
The American Protective League
(APL) was established in which private citizens
worked with Federal law enforcement agencies during
WW1 to identify suspected German sympathizers and to
counteract the activities of anti-war activists. The
American Protective League boasted 250,000 members
in 600 cities.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 17:
Other volunteer enforcement
organizations such as the Knights of Liberty,
American Rights League, American Defense Society,
Sedition Slammers, the National Security League, and
the Terrible Threateners were also established to
spy on their fellow citizens and often used methods
of intimidation and harassment.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 18:
The Boy Spies of America were a
children's association whose members were encouraged
to spy on neighbors and demand to inspect draft
cards.
Espionage and Sedition Acts Fact 19:
The Espionage and Sedition Acts continue to be the most
controversial laws ever passed in the United States.
Facts
about the Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids
Facts
about the Espionage and Sedition Acts: American entry
and US role World War I
On April 6, 1917 the United States
Senate declared war on Germany
and fought with the allies in WW1. For additional
facts and information refer to the following links:
Espionage and Sedition Acts - President Woodrow Wilson Video
The article on the Espionage and Sedition Acts provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Woodrow Wilson video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 28th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1913 to March 4, 1921.
Espionage and Sedition Acts
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Interesting Facts about Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids and schools
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Key events
and Espionage and Sedition Acts for kids
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The Espionage and Sedition Acts, a major
event in US history
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Woodrow Wilson Presidency from March 4, 1913 to March 4, 1921
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Fast, fun facts about the Espionage and Sedition Acts
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Woodrow Wilson
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Woodrow Wilson Presidency and
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