An Indispensable Liberty

Most Americans today view freedom of speech as a bedrock of all other liberties, a defining feature of American citizenship. During the nineteenth century, the popular concept of American freedom of speech was still being formed. In An Indispensable Liberty: The Fight for Free Speech in Nineteenth-Century America , contributors examine attempts to restrict freedom of speech and the press during and after the Civil War.   The eleven essays that make up this collection show how, despite judic