Sedition Act
Definition
The Sedition Act was a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1918 during World War I that made it illegal to criticize the government, flag, or military. It was designed to suppress dissent and criticism of the war effort.
Analogy
Think of the Sedition Act like a strict school rule against talking negatively about teachers or administrators. Just as this rule would punish students for speaking out, so too did the Sedition Act penalize those who criticized the government.
Related terms
First Amendment: This is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition.
Espionage Act: A law passed in 1917 that prohibited interference with military operations or recruitment, prevented insubordination in the military, and supported wartime censorship.
Alien and Sedition Acts: These were four laws passed by Federalist-dominated Congress in 1798 during an undeclared naval war with France; they made it harder for immigrants to become citizens (Naturalization Act), allowed for deportation of foreigners deemed dangerous (Alien Friends Act), permitted arrest/deportation/imprisonment of any foreigner from hostile nations (Alien Enemies Act), and criminalized making false statements critical of federal government (Sedition Act).
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