U.S. Postmaster General

Sedition Act of 1918 Expands Espionage Act to Criminalize Anti-Government Speech

1918-05-16 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

Congress passed the Sedition Act on May 16, 1918, extending the Espionage Act of 1917 to cover a broader range of offenses, notably speech and expression of opinion that cast the government or war effort in a negative light or interfered with the sale of government bonds. The Act forbade the use of …

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