The First Amendment is the Bill of Rights’ cornerstone, preventing Congress from outlawing freedom of religion, speech, the press and peaceable assembly. But what has this meant in practice? Attorney and historian Michael J. LaMonica traces the sometimes thorny history of interpreting and applying the First Amendment in this illustrated booklet. What if freedom to practice your religion involves the right to murder me? Why isn’t it legal to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater? And since the amendment’s language specifies only Congress, can your state or city deny freedom of speech or assembly? The foundational document for the First Amendment is the Magna Carta, LaMonica begins, and proceeds to follow the evolution of a comforting idea: The authority of government is not unlimited.
