Sedition Act of 1918

The Sedition Act of 1918 was an amendment to the Espionage Act of 1917. The Sedition Act forbade an American to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces. The act also allowed the Postmaster General to deny mail delivery to dissenters.

Related Topics:
Amendment - Espionage Act of 1917 - United States government - Flag - Armed forces - Postmaster General

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In practice, the Espionage Act, as amended by the Sedition Act, was used to persecute individuals or groups who disagreed with presidential or congressional policy. Historically, these types of acts have been suggested and/or passed when a presidental administration or congressional majority has lost general public support and additional, judicial tools are necessary to minimize public dissent. The Sedition Act was the most recent attempt by the United States government to limit ?freedom of speech,? in-so-much-as that ?freedom of speech? related to the criticism of the government, or, more applicably, the political policies of the presidential administration or congressional majority.

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The Espionage Act made it a crime to help wartime enemies of the United States, but the Sedition Act made it a crime to utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the United States' form of government. The United States government is a Republic.

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Socialist Eugene V. Debs was sentenced to 10 years in prison under this law.

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Both the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act were repealed in 1921. Modern legal experts view both the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act as being antithetical to the letter and spirit United States Constitution, specifically the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Anti-governmental-defamation laws similar to the Sedition Act are still in place in some of the world's most repressive countries, including North Korea and Libya.

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