
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, or interfere with the right to peaceably assemble. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as applying to the entire federal government, even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. The right to freedom of expression is also enshrined in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Protects the right to freedom of religion | Yes |
| Protects the right to freedom of expression from government interference | Yes |
| Prohibits laws that establish a national religion | Yes |
| Prohibits laws that impede the free exercise of religion | Yes |
| Prohibits laws that abridge the freedom of speech | Yes |
| Prohibits laws that infringe upon the freedom of the press | Yes |
| Prohibits laws that interfere with the right to peaceably assemble | Yes |
| Prohibits laws that prohibit citizens from petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances | Yes |
| Applies to the entire federal government | Yes |
| Protects the right to free speech in other mediums of expression that communicate a message | Yes |
| Protects the right to assemble for peaceful and lawful purposes | Yes |
| Protects the right to express oneself through publication and dissemination | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
- The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects freedom of expression
- The First Amendment also protects freedom of religion
- The First Amendment protects the right to assemble
- The First Amendment protects the right to petition the government
- The right to freedom of expression is also protected by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects freedom of expression
The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government, even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. The right to free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicate a message, and the level of protection speech receives depends on the forum in which it takes place. The right to freedom of the press is guaranteed by the First Amendment and is not very different from the right to freedom of speech. It allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination, and it does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general.
The First Amendment also protects the right to assemble, allowing people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes, and to protest the government. The Supreme Court has long recognised that public school students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate".
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The First Amendment also protects freedom of religion
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion or impede the free exercise of religion. It also protects the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government.
The First Amendment was adopted into the Bill of Rights in 1791 and has since acted as the basis of our right to free speech. It protects our fundamental rights to express ourselves, to gather with other people, and to protest our government, among other rights. The text of the First Amendment is short: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The right to free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicate a message. The level of protection speech receives depends on the forum in which it takes place. The right to freedom of the press is guaranteed by the First Amendment and allows individuals to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general.
The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as applying to the entire federal government, even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. The Supreme Court also recognises that public school students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate".
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The First Amendment protects the right to assemble
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, or interfere with the right to peaceably assemble. The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government, even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. The right to freedom of expression is also enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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The First Amendment protects the right to petition the government
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, interfere with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibit citizens from petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government, even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress.
The right to free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicate a message. The level of protection speech receives also depends on the forum in which it takes place. The right to freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment is not very different from the right to freedom of speech. It allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general. The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes.
The First Amendment was ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. Since then, this short paragraph has acted as the basis of our right to free speech. The text of the First Amendment is as follows:
> Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The right to freedom of expression is also enshrined in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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The right to freedom of expression is also protected by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The right to freedom of expression is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The First Amendment prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, interfere with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibit citizens from petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. The First Amendment was adopted into the Bill of Rights in 1791 and has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as applying to the entire federal government.
The right to free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicate a message. The level of protection speech receives depends on the forum in which it takes place. The right to freedom of the press allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general. The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of expression from government interference.
The text of the First Amendment is: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
No, the level of protection speech receives depends on the forum in which it takes place.
Yes, the Supreme Court has recognised that public school students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate".











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