Freedom of expression and the enlightenment



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The Debate on the Constitution: Part One
, ed. Bernard Bailyn 
(New York: Literary Classics of the United States, Inc., 1993), 949.
122
“The Republican to the People,” in 
Debate on the Constitution: Part One
, ed. Bailyn, 710.
123
“A Revolution Effected by Good Sense and Deliberation,” in 
Debate on the Constitution: Part One
, ed. 
Bailyn, 13.
124
James Wilson, “James Wilson and John Smilie Debate the Need for a Bill of Rights,” in
 Debate on the 
Constitution: Part One
, ed. Bailyn, 808.


51 
greater toleration of new ideas, the Constitution and the new American government 
would not have taken the shape that they did.
125
One could go so far as to say that the 
American Constitution is “the greatest monument of the Moderate Enlightenment in any 
country,” particularly due to the frequency with which the founding fathers invoked 
thinkers such as Locke and Montesquieu.
126
Within the body of the Constitution itself, 
there was not much that directly addresses rights, but the preamble stated that one of the 
goals of the Constitution was to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our 
Posterity.”
127
Furthermore, the first three articles divide the government into three 
branches—the legislative, executive, and judicial—following the outline Montesquieu 
proposed in 
The Spirit of Laws
. This separation of powers prevented arbitrary power, 
which was a threat to liberty, because if one person or group was able to make, execute, 
and judge the laws, no law would ever be overturned or ruled unconstitutional. This 
person or group in power would be able to run the government as they saw fit, including 
making unjust laws, without having to consider the rights of the people. Another part of 
the Constitution that bears some discussion comes at the end of Article VI: “no religious 
test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the 
United States.”
128
Regardless of what religion one professed, anyone was able to hold 
office. Religious toleration became embedded in the American constitution with this 
statement, as well as with the first part of the first amendment. 
Much of the discussion of the rights of the people centered around the Bill of 
Rights. In fact, many people were opposed to the Constitution without a Bill of Rights. 
125
Outram, 
Enlightenment
, 29.
126
Israel, 
Democratic Enlightenment
, 459.
127
“The Constitution of the United States,” in 
Debate on the Constitution: Part One
, ed. Bailyn, 968.
128
Ibid, 981 


52 
Central to this discussion is the first amendment, which states that “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.”
129
This 
amendment is about freedom of expression, a central issue of the Enlightenment. There 
was no established religion, a major change from many of the monarchies of Europe, but 
people were able to practice any religion they would like. Additionally, people were free 
to say what they liked, be it in speech or in writing. Censorship in particular was a major 
issue for the Enlightenment thinkers, but the first amendment protects the right to 
publish. The First Amendment could easily be considered “one of the culminating 
achievements of the Enlightenment,” as it “codifies the emerging eighteenth-century 
commitment to freedom of expression.”
130
Furthermore, the Fifth Amendment contains the due process clause, which states 
that no one shall “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
131
Although this certainly followed the moderate strain of the Enlightenment, in that liberty 
could be restricted if it was necessary, it was still a step forward for freedom in that 
government officials could not simply deprive someone of their rights on a whim. Even if 
one spoke out or wrote against the government, one’s freedom could not be limited 
without following a legal process. The Ninth Amendment also deserves some 
consideration. It states that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall 
not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” If something was 
129
Ibid, 982.
130
Lee Morrissey, “Toward an Archaeology of the First Amendment’s Free Speech Protections,” 166-70.
131
“The Constitution of the United States,” 983.


53 
not explicitly stated in the Constitution, then the people still have that right, including 
rights of expression.
As previously stated, Locke had a major impact on the ideas of the American 
leaders, so it is necessary to consider how the framers incorporated his works into the 
Constitution and Bill of Rights. In 

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