The Supreme Court was on board with the Espionage and Sedition Acts, holding that both were constitutional, and that the government was permitted to punish speech that could create a “clear and present danger” to the country. However, over 2,000 people were arrested for sedition during this period, and 1,000 of them (many of whom were immigrants) were ultimately convicted. Interestingly, no one was convicted on charges of spying or sabotage during World War I under the Espionage Act. The result was that 75 newspapers – including German-American, pacifist, and American Socialist newspapers – either lost their mailing privileges entirely, or were pressured to refrain from printing anything else about the war. The Postmaster General’s authority was made clearer by the Sedition Act as well, as it gave him the authority to ban the mailing of any letters, newspapers, pamphlets, packages, or other materials that he believed to be in opposition to the war effort. The government was also given the freedom to punish people for engaging in a multitude of speeches and behaviors, such as displaying a German flag, or giving a speech that could be interpreted as support for the enemy.Īnyone who was convicted of violating these laws could be fined up to $10,000, and could be imprisoned for a maximum of 20 years. Examples of Espionage Act-related crimes that were made clearer by the Sedition Act include using profane or disloyal language to criticize things like the Constitution, the American flag, the military, their uniforms, or the government as a whole. The Sedition Act made the Espionage Act more specific by laying out exactly what people could get in trouble for. While the Sedition and Espionage Acts are commonly referred to together, the Sedition Act especially singled out immigrants living in the United States at the time, who were opposed to the war, the draft, and the trampling of their freedom of speech on these issues. Simply put, Americans were not allowed to criticize the United States for its involvement in World War I, nor were they permitted to criticize any of the decisions the government made insofar as the war was concerned. The Sedition Act made it a crime to write or talk, in a critical manner, about the United States’ involvement in the war.
The Sedition Act was created as an amendment to the Espionage Act, and this is where things got really controversial. The Sedition Act was created less than a year after the Espionage Act, being enacted in May of 1918. While punishments were handed out frequently during World War I to those accused of violating the Act, the number of prosecutions actually eased up during World War II. joined World War II, and the Act barred him from doing so. Roosevelt wanted to send military aid to Great Britain right before the U.S. This was all well and good until President Franklin D. Knowing this, it is understandable how the Act could have trampled the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the United States.Īnother roadblock that the Act created was its provision that no naval vessels equipped for combat could be shipped out to any nation that is engaged in a war in which the United States is a neutral party. The Postmaster General was permitted under the Act to destroy or otherwise refuse any mail publications that he believed to be in violation of the Act. This crime was punishable by a fee of up to $10,000, a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, or both. These statements could be any statements that could be translated to encourage insubordination, mutiny, disloyalty, or refusal of duty.
In some cases, both penalties could be handed down. Anyone caught doing either of these things could be punished by death, or by a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. Providing Information – Handing over information that would either interfere with the United States’ military, or promote the success of the country’s enemies.
The Defense Secrets Act was mainly concerned with keeping citizens from obtaining or handing over any information pertaining to the United States’ national defenses to anyone who was not “entitled to have it.”Įxamples of Espionage Act-related crimes and their penalties included: These penalties made the Espionage Act significantly more severe than the Defense Secrets Act of 1911, which inspired the Espionage Act.
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