World War I
Abstract
The United States entered World War I in 1917, the administration of President Woodrow Wilson adopted a comprehensive policy to limit dissent. The US entry into the war was described as a noble endeavor aimed at making the world safe for democracy. Individuals who challenged the idea of US involvement in the war soon found that their ability to express ideas was limited by the actions of federal, state, and local officials. The government's rush to quell dissent raised difficult issues involving freedom of speech and press as protected under the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The President of Woodrow Wilson asked Congress during 1917 and 1918 to grant him powers to regulate speech, Congress responded by passing two measures, the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918. These legislative measures gave broad powers to the federal government to regulate speech.
Recommended Citation
Meagher, M. E. (2015). World War I. Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America, 3, pp. 1041-1043. Sharpe Reference; Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis Group.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315699868-742
Department(s)
History and Political Science
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-076568063-1;978-131745713-8;978-131569986-8
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Group, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2015
