Tracing the battles between the repressors and proponents of free speech, this chronology overviews press and speech freedoms in the United States from 1619 through 1995. Beginning with the American Colonies, the volume covers the religious refugees and political dissidents who settled the Colonies and the press that heated up the struggle to rid America of the Crown. Although freedom of speech and the press became constitutional rights 15 years after the Declaration of Independence, these rights fared poorly until after World War II. This book traces the struggles, the press, and the...

Although Americans tend to take the concept and protection of free expression for granted, free press and free speech are at best only tentatively established in some nations of the world. Covering prehistoric times to mid-1998, this book provides a year-by-year report of the efforts to free the press throughout the world. Since the American concept of free speech came from England, the early chapters place a heavy emphasis on events in England, while later chapters include other nations throughout the world. Ingelhart provides a thorough overview of free press and free speech principles...