"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." — First Amendment, ratified December 15, 1791
Within a decade of ratification, which federal action most directly tested the speech and press protections enumerated here?
- Acheck_circle
The Sedition Act of 1798's criminalization of criticism of the federal government
- B
The Whiskey Excise of 1791's tax on distilled spirits
- C
The Judiciary Act of 1789's organization of federal circuit courts
- D
The Naturalization Act of 1790's residency requirement
Explanation
The Sedition Act criminalized "false, scandalous, and malicious" writings against federal officers, prompting the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and a sustained constitutional debate over First Amendment limits. The other 1789-91 statutes addressed structural and economic matters, not speech.