The Constitution: The First Amendment

Use this guide as a pathfinder to sources about the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 
Photo from: The White House

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

• The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis, and Interpretation
  2002 edition.  S. DOC. 108-17.  See the Government Printing Office's website for supplements (issued in even-numbered years).   To access a PDF of the First Amendment with commentary, click here.
• Congressional Bills
  
• Congressional Record
• Presidential Documents
• Cases from Oyez (Chicago-Kent College of Law)

• Britannica: First Amendment
• CQ Public Affairs Collection:  Law & Justice:  Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, & Individual Rights.  Contains Legislative Analysis, Case Summaries, And Primary Sources
• Encyclopedia. World News Digest:  Constitution of the United States.  Freedom of Speech
• The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States: First Amendment
• West's Encyclopedia of American Law: First Amendment

Best Bets:

• Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
• LexisNexis Academic  
• Academic Search Premier
• America: History and Life
• Military and Government Collection
• Alternative Press Index
• ATLA religion database with ATLASerials
• PolicyArchive
  
• WorldCat (via FirstSearch)   If we don't own a book, try borrowing it using ILL.

Sample searches in EBSCO:

• 1st AMENDMENT
• CONSTITUTIONAL law -- United States
• FREEDOM of assembly
• FREEDOM of expression
• FREEDOM of religion
• FREEDOM of speech
• FREEDOM of the press

Links to books and videos held by IC Library:

• Assembly, Right of--United States
• Constitutional history--United States
• Constitutional law--United States.
• Freedom of expression--United States.
• Freedom of religion--United States.
• Freedom of speech--United States
• Freedom of the press--United States.
• United States. Constitution. 1st Amendment.

• Bill of Rights Institute
  The Bill of Rights Institute provides resources for educating the public about founding documents
• Center for Constitutional Rights
  Organization founded in 1966 that is dedicated to protecting rights stated in the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Humaning Rights.  
• First Amendment Center
  Clearinghouse for information concerning the five freedoms (speech, press, assembly, petition and religion) guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution
• Freedom Forum
   Organization the centers on the free press and free speech.  They operate the Newseum in Washington, DC.
• Freedom House
  Organization that monitors freedom, democracy and human rights worldwide.  The publish the following reports: Freedom in the World, Freedom on the Net, Freedom of the Press, Nations in Transit,  Countries at the Crossroads,  and Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, 
• freepress
  Organization that advocates for media reform.  
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
  A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to journalists since 1970." Users can sign up for news feeds. The Reading Room tab includes online issues of The News Media & The Law, a quarterly magazine (2000+). They also provide the following guides: The First Amendment Handbook, The Open Government Guide, and The Reporter's Privilege (examines reporter's privilege in each state). 
• Reporters without Borders
  Advocacy organization that defends journalists, fights against censorship, and works to improve the safety of journalists worldwide. They publish the Press Freedom Index.

See the Guide for:
Constitution Day 2012: WIKILEAKS, BRADLEY MANNING, AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Park Auditorium
Shayana Kadidal, Guest Speaker

Other Guides of interest may include:

• Banned and Censored Media
• Citizens United
• Gay Marriage
• Government and Media
• Immigration
• Journalism
• Law  (general sources)

You can access high resolution images and transcripts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights through the National Archive's "Charters of Freedom" website.

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 The Constitution: That Delicate Balance
From Annenberg Media, this is a streaming video series on the Constitution. Produced by Columbia University Seminars on Media and Society. 1984.

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