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Image featuring diverse individuals using smartphones with text about freedom of the press and BRI's homework help series.
Crowd gathered at an outdoor event with signs, promoting the concept of freedom of assembly. Bill of Rights Institute.
Crowd of people participating in a protest, holding signs about free speech. Text overlay mentions homework help series.
Illustration of historical figures discussing the Establishment Clause with a church in the background.

First Amendment

12 items

Image featuring diverse individuals using smartphones with text about freedom of the press and BRI's homework help series.
Freedom of the Press | BRI’s Homework Help Series
Video

Video

6 Min

What do you think of when you hear the words "free press"? The Founders believed the freedom of the press was an important bulwark in a free society. Learn more about the history of the First Amendment as well as some landmark Supreme Court cases involving press freedom with this Homework Help video.
6 Min
Crowd gathered at an outdoor event with signs, promoting the concept of freedom of assembly. Bill of Rights Institute.
Freedom of Assembly | BRI’s Homework Help Series
Video

Video

6 Min

Why is the freedom of assembly an essential right in a free society? Our Homework Help video explores why the Founders included it in the 1st Amendment as well as the landmark Supreme Court cases involving it. Supreme Court cases arguing freedom of assembly debate the protections of the 14th Amendment. Although the Bill of Rights was initially limited to the federal government, incorporation also allows states to be culpable of the protections in the Bill of Rights.
6 Min
Crowd of people participating in a protest, holding signs about free speech. Text overlay mentions homework help series.
Free Speech | BRI’s Homework Help Series
Video

Video

7 Min

Why is the freedom of speech a bedrock principle in American society? In this Homework Help video, we explore the history of freedom of speech in the United States.
7 Min
Illustration of historical figures discussing the Establishment Clause with a church in the background.
The Establishment Clause | BRI’s Homework Help Series
Video

Video

9 Min

What is the proper relationship between church and state? In this Homework Help video, we analyze this question by reviewing the history behind the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment as well as how the Supreme Court has interpreted its meaning.
9 Min
Image of the First Amendment text from the United States Constitution on aged parchment.
Freedom of Speech: General
E Lesson

E Lesson

5 Min

This eLesson features Supreme Court cases that impacted freedom of speech, including a link to Oyez to learn more.
A close-up of two hands, one holding a book, as another hand rests on top of it, possibly during an oath.
Freedom of Petition
E Lesson

E Lesson

20 Min

This eLesson features Supreme Court cases that impacted freedom of petition, including a link to Oyez to learn more.
Smiling woman in a blazer holding a microphone, standing in a busy street.
Freedom of the Press
E Lesson

E Lesson

20 Min

Explore various landmark court cases where the right to a free press was tested. Freedom of the Press is essential to the maintenance of free government and is guaranteed by the first amendment. Learn more about this right in the cases below.
View of Independence Hall with the First Amendment inscription in the foreground and modern buildings in the background.
The Constitution, the First Amendment, and Religious Liberty
Lesson - 5 Activities

Lesson

5 Activities

40 Min

How did leading Founders and religious dissenters contribute to religious liberty in America? Analyze primary source documents concerning the relationship between church and state, assess arguments for and against an established religion and a public role for religion in civic life and gain an appreciation for the philosophical and political process of the American experiment in religious liberty.
40 Min
The United States Supreme Court building, featuring classical architecture and multiple columns against a blue sky.
Religious Liberty and the Supreme Court
Lesson - 4 Activities

Lesson

4 Activities

50 Min

How did the doctrine of incorporation broaden the application of the First Amendment? Examine facts of landmark Establishment Clause Supreme Court cases, evaluate arguments about the scope of the Establishment Clause, and assess the Supreme Court's interpretations of the First Amendment with respect to religion in public schools.
50 Min
White church with a clock tower, surrounded by bare trees and a cloudy sky.
Religious Toleration and Religious Liberty
Lesson - 5 Activities

Lesson

5 Activities

35 Min

How did religious toleration evolve to religious liberty in the United States? Examine the difference between the two, analyze documents concerning both, and evaluate the significance of this change.
35 Min
Interior of a church featuring wooden pews, ornate ceilings, and a raised altar. Black and white photograph.
Religious Liberty: The American Experiment
E Lesson

E Lesson

20 Min

Resources Religious Liberty: Landmark Supreme Cases George Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom James Madison’s Memorial and Remonstrance 
U.S. Supreme Court building with an American flag waving in front and the words "Equal Justice" inscribed above.
Expansion of Expression
Unit - 3 Lessons

Unit

3 Lessons