MC 3080 Chapter : B Repression Seditious Libel Adams V Madison Sept 6
Document Summary
Two reasons the freedoms and the first amendment were cited by the colonies: Exercised repression over the press through the stamp act: had to have a stamp, licensed by the crown for it to exist. If you didn"t have that stamp, you couldn"t print: therefore, *the stamp act was a means of licensing the press, the press was a bunch of rag-tag people producing silly sheets. A group of people who believed their opinions weren"t being heard would start a newspaper. It was like a xerox of the day, not like the nyt or cbs. If you said anything against either, you had seditious libel and got punished for it. Very easy to restrict free thinking: truth was not a defense in seditious libel, true or not about the governor or w/e, you couldn"t write it, today it is. James madison republican at the time, now people thing he"d be called a democrat.
