Abstract
The First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” For Americans, this language is familiar. But what exactly does it mean? How far do the speech and press clauses restrict governmental power? The founders, as we will see, answered these questions very differently than we typically do today. And the reasons why highlight fundamental shifts in American constitutional thought.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
Recommended Citation
Jud Campbell, What Did the First Amendment Originally Mean?, Richmond Law Magazine (Summer 2018), at 19.