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Free Speech League

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317: 80:. In 1908, its goals were reported as "freedom of peaceable assembly, of discussion and of propaganda; an uncensored press, telegraph and telephone; an uninspected express; an inviolable mail." To achieve its goals, the League worked through the press, public speaking and the courts and felt that "the education of brains and quickening of consciences are first in order of time and effect." Its Secretary at the time was A. C. Pleydell of 175 154:, a federal law prohibiting mailing of any material deemed to be obscene or related to sex in any way. Many states also passed similar state laws, which were collectively known as the "Comstock Laws" and sometimes extended the federal law by outlawing the use and the distribution of contraceptives. Comstock was proud of being personally responsible for thousands of arrests and the destruction of hundreds of tons of books and pamphlets. 95:. Its charter included the goal "by all lawful means to oppose every form of government censorship over any method for the expression, communication or transmission of ideas... and to promote such legislative enactments and constitutional amendments, state and national, as will secure these ends." 181:. She had returned to anarchist activism, but it was taking its toll on her. "I never felt so weighed down," she wrote to Berkman. "I fear I am forever doomed to remain public property and to have my life worn out through the care for the lives of others." 389:
The new encyclopedia of social reform, including all social-reform movements and activities, and the economic, industrial, and sociological facts and statistics of all countries and all social subjects;
165:, was arrested under the Anarchist Exclusion Act and threatened with deportation, Emma Goldman joined forces with the Free Speech League to champion his cause. The League enlisted the aid of 603: 207:
in 1914, she did so with the express goal of provoking a legal challenge to the Comstock Laws banning dissemination of information about contraception. In
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The struggle for free speech in the United States, 1872-1915: Edward Bliss Foote, Edward Bond Foote, and anti-Comstock operations
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The struggle for free speech in the United States, 1872–1915: Edward Bliss Foote, Edward Bond Foote, and anti-Comstock operations
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was admired. During the early years of her activism, Sanger viewed birth control primarily as a free speech issue, rather than a
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William Dwight Porter Bliss 1856-1926; Rudolph Michael Binder 1865- ; eds. New York, Funk and Wagnalls Company 1908 p.511
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Kennedy, Kathleen (January 2000). "In the Shadow of Gompers: Lucy Robins and the Politics of Amnesty, 1918-1922".
223: 37: 76:. The League was formed in 1902. Two other members involved in the League's creation were Bob Robins and 588: 322: 187:
supported the cause of free speech throughout her career with a zeal comparable to her support for
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Constitutional free speech defined and defended in an unfinished argument in a case of blasphemy
107: 36:, particularly relating to political speech and sexual material. It was a predecessor of the 33: 177:. Although Turner and the League lost, Goldman considered the Casablanca to be a victory of 81: 222:
Around 1917 to 1919, the League gradually disbanded. Many of its members later joined the
219:, and the League later provided funding and advice to help Sanger with her legal battles. 8: 297: 196: 216: 212: 135: 103: 57: 49: 540: 493: 170: 29: 368: 174: 143: 139: 92: 77: 488:
McCann, Carole Ruth (2010), "Women as Leaders in the Contraceptive Movement", in
184: 166: 211:, Emma Goldman introduced Sanger to members of the Free Speech League, such as 208: 158: 582: 188: 131: 127: 99: 85: 73: 25: 21: 372: 151: 115: 69: 61: 53: 302:
Administrative Process of the Postal Department: A Letter to the President
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Transforming Free Speech: The Ambiguous Legacy of Civil Libertarianism
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The Scientific Aspect of Due Process Law and Constructive Crimes
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Goldman, Emma, Candace Falk, Barry Pateman, Jessica M. Moran,
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The League was officially incorporated on April 7, 1911, in
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Freedom of the Press and 'Obscene' Literature: Three Essays
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Flower, Benjamin Orange; Schroeder, Theodore; Post, Louse,
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in the early 20th century. The League focused on combating
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In Defense of Free Speech: Five Essays from the Arena
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who successfully lobbied for the passage of the 1873
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Gender and Women's Leadership: A Reference Handbook
537:A History of the Birth Control Movement in America 278:The Conflict Between Religious and Ethical Science 60:. Other free speech advocates of the era included 604:Legal advocacy organizations in the United States 98:One of the primary targets of the League was the 48:The Free Speech League's main advocates included 580: 399: 397: 245:, Press Bulletins No. 1 and No 2. December 1903. 394: 191:. Sanger had grown up in a home in which the 126:moral reformers and middle-class women, the 110:grew in strength and wasbaimed at outlawing 552:Emma Goldman: Making speech free, 1902-1909 475:"The Child Who Was Mother to a Woman" from 331:Birth control movement in the United States 469: 404:The Twentieth century magazine, Volume 4 138:practice that promoted prostitution and 358: 203:issue, and when she started publishing 581: 561:, University of California Press, 1992 482: 142:. A leader of the purity movement was 122:in particular. Composed primarily of 513:, Psychology Press, 2008, pp 100–102 594:Freedom of expression organizations 229: 13: 568:, Cambridge University Press, 1999 566:Free speech in its forgotten years 264:Our Vanishing Liberty of the Press 14: 615: 599:Organizations established in 1902 243:Free Speech and the New Alien Law 315: 173:, who took Turner's case to the 516: 503: 492:, Karen O'Connor (Ed), SAGE, 460: 451: 438: 429: 420: 409: 382: 352: 343: 224:American Civil Liberties Union 38:American Civil Liberties Union 1: 529: 52:, his son Edward Bond Foote, 283:Schroeder, Theodore, (Ed.), 7: 535:Engelman, Peter C. (2011), 308: 287:, Free Speech League, 1909. 10: 620: 509:Wood, Janice Ruth (2008), 479:, April 11, 1925, page 11. 466:Quoted in Chalberg, p. 87. 294:, Free Speech League, 1919 43: 134:, which was viewed as an 575:, Psychology Press, 2008 336: 323:Freedom of speech portal 195:and iconoclastic orator 378:(subscription required) 373:10.1111/0149-0508.00140 130:campaign also attacked 28:that fought to support 257:Constructive Obscenity 108:social purity movement 290:Schroeder, Theodore, 276:Schroeder, Theodore, 269:Schroeder, Theodore, 262:Schroeder, Theodore, 255:Schroeder, Theodore, 248:Schroeder, Theodore, 34:government censorship 457:Chalberg, pp. 84–87. 285:Free Press Anthology 24:organization in the 571:Wood, Janice Ruth, 435:Engelman, pp 15–16. 426:Engelman, pp 13–14. 417:Engelman, pp 13–14. 564:Rabban, David M., 446:Making Speech Free 361:Peace & Change 217:Theodore Schroeder 213:Edward Bliss Foote 104:American Civil War 58:Theodore Schroeder 50:Edward Bliss Foote 18:Free Speech League 589:Freedom of speech 545:978-0-313-36509-6 498:978-1-4129-6083-0 298:Wakeman, Thaddeus 171:Edgar Lee Masters 30:freedom of speech 611: 557:Graber, Mark A, 523: 520: 514: 507: 501: 486: 480: 473: 467: 464: 458: 455: 449: 442: 436: 433: 427: 424: 418: 413: 407: 401: 392: 386: 380: 379: 376: 356: 350: 347: 325: 320: 319: 318: 230:Works by members 197:Robert Ingersoll 175:US Supreme Court 148:postal inspector 144:Anthony Comstock 140:venereal disease 93:Albany, New York 78:Lucy Robins Lang 619: 618: 614: 613: 612: 610: 609: 608: 579: 578: 532: 527: 526: 521: 517: 508: 504: 487: 483: 474: 470: 465: 461: 456: 452: 443: 439: 434: 430: 425: 421: 416: 414: 410: 402: 395: 387: 383: 377: 357: 353: 348: 344: 339: 321: 316: 314: 311: 232: 205:The Woman Rebel 185:Margaret Sanger 167:Clarence Darrow 114:in general and 46: 12: 11: 5: 617: 607: 606: 601: 596: 591: 577: 576: 569: 562: 555: 548: 531: 528: 525: 524: 515: 502: 500:., pp 750–751. 481: 477:The New Yorker 468: 459: 450: 437: 428: 419: 408: 393: 381: 351: 341: 340: 338: 335: 334: 333: 327: 326: 310: 307: 306: 305: 295: 288: 281: 274: 267: 260: 253: 246: 240: 231: 228: 209:New York State 45: 42: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 616: 605: 602: 600: 597: 595: 592: 590: 587: 586: 584: 574: 570: 567: 563: 560: 556: 553: 549: 546: 542: 538: 534: 533: 519: 512: 506: 499: 495: 491: 485: 478: 472: 463: 454: 447: 441: 432: 423: 412: 405: 400: 398: 390: 385: 374: 370: 366: 362: 355: 346: 342: 332: 329: 328: 324: 313: 303: 299: 296: 293: 289: 286: 282: 279: 275: 272: 268: 265: 261: 258: 254: 251: 247: 244: 241: 238: 234: 233: 227: 225: 220: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 189:birth control 186: 182: 180: 176: 172: 168: 164: 160: 155: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 132:contraception 129: 128:Victorian-era 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 105: 101: 100:Comstock Laws 96: 94: 89: 87: 86:New York City 83: 79: 75: 74:D. M. Bennett 71: 67: 63: 59: 55: 51: 41: 39: 35: 31: 27: 26:United States 23: 19: 572: 565: 558: 551: 539:, ABC-CLIO, 536: 522:Graber, p 54 518: 510: 505: 489: 484: 476: 471: 462: 453: 445: 440: 431: 422: 411: 403: 388: 384: 364: 360: 354: 345: 301: 291: 284: 277: 270: 263: 256: 249: 242: 236: 221: 204: 183: 156: 152:Comstock Act 116:prostitution 102:. After the 97: 90: 70:Moses Harman 62:Ezra Heywood 54:Emma Goldman 47: 17: 15: 415:Tone, p 17. 163:John Turner 161:anarchist, 66:Ben Reitman 22:progressive 583:Categories 530:References 349:Wood, p 76 179:propaganda 124:Protestant 448:, p. 557. 367:(1): 25. 120:obscenity 309:See also 201:feminist 193:agnostic 82:Broadway 406:, p 274 304:, 1906. 280:, 1909. 273:, 1908. 159:British 157:When a 136:immoral 44:History 543:  496:  444:Falk, 266:, 1907 259:, 1907 252:. 1906 239:, 1908 72:, and 56:, and 20:was a 337:Notes 541:ISBN 494:ISBN 215:and 169:and 146:, a 118:and 112:vice 106:, a 16:The 369:doi 84:in 585:: 396:^ 365:25 363:. 300:, 226:. 88:. 68:, 64:, 40:. 547:. 375:. 371::

Index

progressive
United States
freedom of speech
government censorship
American Civil Liberties Union
Edward Bliss Foote
Emma Goldman
Theodore Schroeder
Ezra Heywood
Ben Reitman
Moses Harman
D. M. Bennett
Lucy Robins Lang
Broadway
New York City
Albany, New York
Comstock Laws
American Civil War
social purity movement
vice
prostitution
obscenity
Protestant
Victorian-era
contraception
immoral
venereal disease
Anthony Comstock
postal inspector
Comstock Act

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