THE FIRST AMENDMENT
ENCYCLOPEDIA

FREEDOM
OF SPEECH

Protects the spoken word, the arts and media


FREEDOM
OF ASSEMBLY

Guarantees the right to gather in protest


FREEDOM
OF PETITION

Ensures the right to lobby government for change


FREEDOM
OF THE Press

Protects the written word, literature and the news media.

FREEDOM
OF RELIGION

Allows us to worship as we wish and prevents government from establishing or endorsing a religion

  • Welcome Guide

  • HOT TOPICS

  • LESSONS IN LIBERTY

Sparklers And American Flag - Independence Day

Welcome to The First Amendment Encyclopedia, the largest single searchable compilation of articles on First Amendment freedoms on the web! We have more than 1,600 articles and are expanding daily with case summaries and topical articles written by scholars and other experts.  It's easy to search. Just type into the search bar at the top of the page, or browse some of our collections below. 


Who are we?  The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies at Middle Tennessee State University started the online encyclopedia project in 2016 when it purchased the rights to two bound print volumes of the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment published by CQ Press. We put them online where more people could find them, adding links and references to help you explore even more. We are indebted to the more than 200 contributors who wrote the original essays and articles in those volumes, including Mr. Seigenthaler, the founder of the First Amendment Center and longtime publisher and editor of The Tennessean, who wrote the forward. It is fitting that the chair founded in his honor continues to power a living digital version of the encyclopedia as a free educational resource for all. 

EXPLORE THE FIRST AMENDMENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

Press
issues

VIEW A
LIST OF TOPICS

CONCEPTS
& LEGAL TERMS

LAWS &
PROPOSED LAWS