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Social Studies Chapter 15 Sections 3 & 4. Mac Bailey. The 1 st Amendment to the Constitution. The first amendment is meant to protect: Freedom of Religion Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press Right to assemble Peacefully Right to voice complaints to the government. Freedom of Religion.
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Social StudiesChapter 15Sections 3 & 4 Mac Bailey
The 1st Amendmentto the Constitution • The first amendment is meant to protect: • Freedom of Religion • Freedom of Speech • Freedom of the Press • Right to assemble Peacefully • Right to voice complaints to the government
Freedom of Religion • Important to many early Americans because Pilgrims were no longer forced to join a specific church, as they had been in England • Americans can choose to pray to their own god or no god at all • Public schools cannot require students to pray
Freedom of Speech • Americans can criticize the government and express their opinions • Early Americans has been arrested in England for criticizing British laws • Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have demanded that the government protect the rights of all people • It does have limits though . . . such as not causing harm to others.
Freedomof the Press • Americans can report the news and express opinions in newspapers and other ways • Early Americans had their printing presses demolished and their newspapers closed down by British officials • Also has limits though . . . such as not spreading lies
Assemble Peacefullyand Voice Complaints • Americans can also gather in groups peacefully • And can ask the government to correct unfairness
The 2nd Amendmentto the Constitution • The second amendment is meant to protect: • The rights of the states to have a militia • The rights of people to bear arms
Militia and Weapons • In 1789, Americans wanted to defend themselves against British soldiers • They wanted to be able to defend their land and families – there were no police to protect them • Americans also wanted to be able to hunt for food • The second amendment protected these rights
Guns • Although the second amendment protects the right to own guns, there are limits on the types of guns people are allowed to own • Some people do not think that Americans need to own guns though, and their right to argue this point is protected by the first amendment