A Review of the First Amendment Term Paper by Nicky

A look at several Supreme Court cases that deal with the First Amendment's protection of freedom of religion.
# 150088 | 855 words | 3 sources | APA | 2012 | US
Published on Jan 25, 2012 in Law (Constitution) , Law (Historic Trials)


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Description:

The paper provides a summary of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and focuses on one of the most contentious components of the First Amendment, the guarantee of a freedom of religion. The paper examines the Supreme Court cases of "US v. Ballard", "Minersville School District v. Gobitis" and "Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens". The paper shows how Supreme Court rulings have generally set clearer boundaries limiting the government's intervention and control of religion, though some cases have had the opposite effect.

Outline:
Full Text
Summary
Ratification
Freedom of Religion
US v. Ballard
Minersville School District v. Gobitis
Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens
The Changing Interpretation

From the Paper:

"Along with the Second through Tenth Amendments (with which the first are known collectively as the Bill of Rights), the First Amendment was ratified by the various state legislatures on December 15, 1791, shortly (in relative legal terms) after the Constitutional Convention (US Constitution Online).
"One of the most contentious components of the First Amendment is the guarantee of a freedom of religion. There are actually two separate components to this freedom; the First Amendment both guarantees a freedom from the establishment of religion by the government and the freedom for individual citizens to practice whatever religion they choose in almost any way they choose. Though related, these two freedoms actually play out independently in many instances, and both have led to more than their fair share of controversy over the centuries.
"The intent behind this component of the First Amendment was to prevent any official or mandated religion from taking place. Many of the original colonists that had come to this land did so because they had been persecuted in their home countries for their religious beliefs, and these two separate guarantees were included to make sure similar situations couldn't happen here. The success of these efforts, as Supreme Court cases show, has been mixed."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Cornell University Law School. (2009). "Amendment I." The U.S. Constitution. Accessed 11 September 2009. http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html#amendmenti
  • The Religious Freedom Page. (2009). "Court Decisions. Accessed 11 September 2009. http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/court/
  • U.S. Constitution Online. (2009). "Amendment 1--freedom of religion, press." Accessed 11 September 2009. http://www.usconstitution.net/constnotes.html#Am1

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

A Review of the First Amendment (2012, January 25) Retrieved April 02, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/a-review-of-the-first-amendment-150088/

MLA Format

"A Review of the First Amendment" 25 January 2012. Web. 02 April. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/a-review-of-the-first-amendment-150088/>

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