1. Dissent during WWI

2. Reasons for Dissent Opposition to the government’s involvement in international affairs Opposition to the Selective Service Act Political & ideological beliefs Ties to Germany and her allies

3. The Most Outspoken Dissenters Communists Socialists Anarchists Immigrants First & second – generation Americans

4. President Wilson Advocated legislation to suppress disloyalty and anarchy.

5. Espionage Act of 1917 Made it a crime to… Convey information that interfered with the war effort. Make false statements that interfered with the war effort. Persons found guilty were subject to hefty fines, lengthy prison sentences, and in certain cases, death.

6. Sedition Act of 1918 Made it a crime to… Use disloyal and abusive language about the U.S. government, the flag, or the military Interfere with the sale of war bonds Obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the U.S. Made it possible to deport foreign citizens found guilty of sedition

7. Case Study #1 – Eugene Debs Union leader Prominent socialist Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party

8. Case Study #1 – Eugene Debs On June 16, 1918, Debs gave a speech urging resistance to the military draft of WWI. As a result, he was arrested and charged with ten counts of sedition. Debs was found guilty, sentenced to ten years in prison, and he lost his right to vote. In 1921, Debs’ sentence was commuted by President Harding.

9. Case Study #2 – Robert Goldstein Born in Germany Was of Jewish descent Owned a costume shop in Los Angeles Produced the movie The Spirit of ‘76, which was released one month after the U.S. entered World War I.

10. Case Study #2 – Robert Goldstein Goldstein’s film, The Spirit of ‘76, depicted many atrocities committed by the British during the American Revolution. Goldstein was ordered to delete the offensive scenes, but he snuck them back in for the L.A. premiere of the movie. The film was seized and Goldstein was charged with attempting to cause insubordination, disloyalty, and mutiny by U.S. troops. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. After the war ended, President Wilson commuted his sentence.

11. Case Study #3 – Emma Goldman Born in Russia Anarchist and political activist

12. Case Study #3 – Emma Goldman Opposed the Selective Service Act that required men to register for the draft Co-founded the No Conscription League of New York Wrote and spread anti-war pamphlets Charged with conspiracy to “induce persons not to register.” Asked at her own trial how the government could claim to fight for democracy while suppressing free speech at home. Sentenced to two years in prison Deported back to Russia in 1919 for being an anarchist

13. As a Result of the Espionage and Sedition Acts… Approximately 1,500 people were imprisoned, and of that number, approximately 250 people were deported. In 1919, the court case Schenck vs. United States ruled that the Espionage Act’s limits on free speech were constitutional. President Wilson eventually pardoned or commuted the sentences of approximately 200 prisoners convicted under the Espionage and Sedition Acts. The Sedition Act was repealed in 1920, but the Espionage Act remains a part of U.S. law.

14. Assignment Scenario You are a lawyer, and you have been given the option to either prosecute OR defend (you choose) one of the case studies presented in class. You need to explain how you plan to argue your case, and make sure to include any information that helps support your argument. Your argument should consist of at least 2 paragraphs. This assignment will be worth 20 points. I will be giving 10 points for accuracy and evidence, and 10 points for focus and clarity.