USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1890 1919)

THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

[SOURCES]
What did the Espionage Act do?

(A) It restricted immigration.

(B) It punished citizens for committing treason.

(C) ** It limited the rights of press and speech.

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -The Espionage Act of 1917 prohibited obtaining information, recording pictures, or copying descriptions of any information relating to the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information may be used for the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.

Concept note-2: -Sedition Act of 1918 (1918) The Sedition Act of 1918 curtailed the free speech rights of U.S. citizens during time of war. Passed on May 16, 1918, as an amendment to Title I of the Espionage Act of 1917, the act provided for further and expanded limitations on speech.

Concept note-3: -It was intended to prohibit interference with military operations or recruitment, to prevent insubordination in the military, and to prevent the support of United States enemies during wartime.

Concept note-4: -These limitations to free speech and expression included legal penalties for speaking out against the government during war time, interfering with military recruitment, and criticizing the president on war policy. The Espionage Act of 1917 was followed up with the Sedition Act of 1918.

Concept note-5: -The Act criminalized the publication or distribution of “information” that could harm or hinder US armed forces as well as of “false reports or false statements” intended to promote America’s enemies, and it empowered the Postmaster General to seize mail that it judged to fall within these categories.