“Today we can almost physically hear the mutterings and rumblings of an invigorated god of war.”

Senator Joseph McCarthy, 1950

“If you’re not with us, you’re against us.”

President George W. Bush, 2001

Do you have the right to say whatever you want? What if the government thinks your words are a threat to national security? Beware! The government could silence you next! The threat to Free Speech is not a new phenomenon. In 1798, President John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts making it illegal to speak out against the government. During the Civil War, Lincoln suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus to prohibit dissent within the U.S.A. World War I witnessed a renewed Alien and Sedition Act to smash resistance to America’s entry to the war. In 1940, the Smith Act was passed into law, making it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the government. During the 1950s, the threat to freedom of speech reached a new level thanks to the hysteria ignited by Senator McCarthy. Finally, following the World Trade Center Attack on 9/11, President Bush signed into law the PATRIOT Act. Free speech is under fire yet again.

What will American civil liberties be like in fifty years? Is free speech a necessary part of American democracy? How has the concept of free speech changed over time? When national security is in doubt, do individuals still have the right to speak freely? You will be investigating freedom of speech during two eras when American security was in doubt: the 1950s and post 9/11. After completing the necessary research and worksheets, you will write and perform a skit that explores free speech in the future. What will free speech sound like in 2055?

1. Define the problem with free speech faced by Americans in the 1950s and now. Complete worksheet one.
2. Gather evidence that this problem really existed. Does it still exist in the Twenty-first century? Complete worksheet twoA. Complete worksheet twoB.
3. What are the causes to the problem in 1950? In the 21^st Century? Complete worksheet three.
4. What was the public policy of the United States in the 1950s regarding free speech? Complete worksheet four in the historical context, using historical fact.
5. Evaluate the public policy of the United States regarding free speech in the 21^st Century from a modern perspective. Complete worksheets five and six.
6. Complete a comparative evaluation of the United States public policy towards free speech of the 1950s and post-9/11. Complete worksheet seven and eight.
7. Write, stage and perform a skit using one of the following four scenarios:
1. An America where an individual’s civil liberties are fully protected at all costs at all times.
2. An America where the advocates of national security and the advocates for the First Amendment rights are of equal strength and are battling to get the upper hand.
3. An America where people are beginning to forget that they have traditional civil liberties.
4. An America where individuals lose their First Amendment in favor of a robust national security program.
8. As a class, create a new public policy that would protect civil liberties while fighting the “War on Terror.”
9. EXTRA CREDIT: Present your recommendations on free speech and the PATRIOT Act to a joint session of the United States Congress by creating a PowerPoint presentation.

You can pick and choose from among the following websites. Also, don’t forget, you have your textbook too! You can always perform your own search … use www.google.com

• Define the problem: free speech threatened:
• Read the First Amendment for yourself!
• Read a synopsis of HUAC with lots of links to more info
• Read the heated testimony of Paul Robeson in front of the Senate HUAC committee.
• Read the statement made by writer John Howard Lawson warning the American people about the HUAC.
• Read a summary of the PATRIOT Act!
• Gather Evidence:
• Timeline of threats to free speech in the U.S.A. -- a clear, concise page that details threats to civil liberties from 1798 (Alien and Sedition Act) to the 1950s. Gives links to more sources and images!
• Read about the Hollywood blacklists and the impact of McCarthyism on people’s consciousness.
• Read poems in reaction to free speech threatened by Allen Ginsburg . Read about how New Jersey removed Amiri Baraka from his status as poet laureate for writing a controversial poem.

• Determine the causes of McCarthyism and the PATRIOT Act:
• Read about McCarthyism in context of the Cold War. Read about the origins of the Cold War.
• Read about the Second Red Scare.
• Read McCarthy’s famous Wheeling Speech.
• Read about the War on Terror.
• Evaluate the United States public policy regarding free speech in the 1950s:
• Read about how the Senate condemned McCarthy.
• Use any of the other resources on this page!
• Identify Costs and Benefits of the United States Public Policy today:
• Read a policy evaluation of antiterrorist legislation.
• Read about exactly how the government can watch you today!
• Is the PATRIOT Act the best way to secure America?
• Complete a comparative analysis:
• http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/TerrorInUSA/McCarthyism.asp a fantastic article about the new attacks by the government on students, artists and immigrants. A must read drawing comparisons between 9/11 and McCarthyism, the War on Terror and the Cold War.
• Mother Jones’ articles, nation articles
• http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/5588/1/226/ -- short article linking 9/11 and McCarthyism

The following rubric will be used to evaluate your project, including your worksheets, your script, and your final performance.

CATEGORY	85-100	75-85	65-75	55-65
Historical Accuracy	All historical information appeared to be accurate.	Almost all historical information appeared to be accurate.	Most of the historical information was accurate.	Very little of the historical information was accurate.
Scenario	Scenario followed guidelines of task and was a realistic portrayal of the future of free speech.	Scenario followed guidelines of task and was a reasonable portrayal of the future of free speech.	Scenario followed most of the guidelines of task and was somewhat reasonable portrayal of the future of free speech.	Scenario did not follow guidelines and/or was not a reasonable portrayal of the future of free speech.
Role	Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were consistently in character.	Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were often in character.	Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were sometimes in character.	Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were rarely in character.
Required Elements	Student included more information than was required, completing all assigned worksheets.	Student included all information that was required, completing all assigned worksheets.	Student included most information that was required, missing no more than one of the assigned worksheets.	Student included less information than was required, missing more than one worksheet.
Knowledge Gained	Can clearly explain several ways in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters and can clearly explain why in a written self-evaluation.	Can clearly explain several ways in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters in a written self-evaluation.	Can clearly explain one way in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters in a written self-evaluation.	Cannot explain one way in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters in a written self-evaluation.

ELA:

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E3b: Participate in group meetings.

E5a: Respond to non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive and critical processes.

E5b: Produce work in at least one genre that follows the conventions of the genre.

Social Studies

Standard 1 - History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Standard 5 - Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

After completing this WebQuest, you will have gained an important insight into the reality of free speech in America. You will understand that the First Amendment is not always protected in America. At once a vital part of American democracy and a potential threat to the nation, free speech has encountered strong proponents and opponents during the nation’s history. It is up to the young to determine the future of this important American liberty.