THE BILL OF RIGHTS EXHIBIT
Produced by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council
TO PRESERVE THESE RIGHTS
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THE BILL OF RIGHTS
BICENTENNIAL EXHIBIT
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Produced by
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council
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Pennsylvania
320 Walnut Street, Suite 305
Samuel Gubins, Ph.D., Chair
Humanities
Council
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
(215) 925-1005
Craig R. Eisendrath, Ph.D., Executive Director
Joan R. Challinor, Ph.D., Project Director
With generous support from
Annie Laurie Aitken Charitable Trust
Chemical Bank of New York
Knight Foundation
Marjorie Kovler Fund
The National Endowment for the Humanities
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Philadelphia National Bank
Pittsburgh Plate Glass
THE BILL OF RIGHTS EXHIBIT
Produced by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council
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PRESERVE
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THE BILL
EXHIBIT
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BICENTENNIAL
When Americans are asked about the meaning of the Constitution
to them, many reply with references to the freedoms guaranteed
by the Bill of Rights freedom of speech and of the press,
freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. That is, to many
of us, the Bill of Rights is the document that, above all,
symbolizes the promise and the reality of America.
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC)
is taking the
opportunity presented by the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights
(from 1989 to 1991) to build on this appreciation for our
freedoms by encouraging a fuller understanding of the Bill of
Rights.
To achieve this goal, we have designed an educational
exhibit that will explore the Bill of Rights its history, its
implementation, and its importance to the way Americans live
their lives.
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This educational exhibit consists of twelve panels. Each panel
explores a particular set of rights and illustrates it with the
text' of tne relevant amendment (s) , captioned photographs, and
quotations by key statesmen and jurists who have helped shape
our understanding of the Bill of Rights.
The panels will be
,«ri5f ,,m.» mounted on three free-standing cardboard kiosks and distributed
<M^ with an educational User's Guide to schools, libraries, and
/ * other public sites.
The concept and format of the Bill of
4 ''* Rights exhibit are based on a highly successful exhibit on the
#*// Constitution entitled "The Blessings of Liberty," distributed in
AlMU Pennsylvania in 1986-87.
The forthcoming exhibit has been
^ designed by the same team of nationally acclaimed scholars,
educators, and the award-winning design firm that produced "The
iiCA, Blessings of Liberty."
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The exhibit is designed to draw the viewer into an exploration
of the Bill of Rights, to engage the viewer's imagination and
emotions, and to initiate a process of inquiry into the Bill of
Rights.
The theme of each panel is developed through
photographs, mostly contemporary, which were to focus the
explanatory captions.
While the content emphasizes the
contemporary expression of Bill of Rights issues, the historical
underpinnings of each Amendment are also examined.
The
designers of the exhibit have, at all times, avoided espousing
any particular position on controversial issues.
Where
appropriate, opposing viewpoints are represented equally,
allowing viewers the opportunity to realize the existence of
controversy and to provide them with an appreciation of the
strength and richness that come from such diversity of opinion,
a diversity fostered by the Bill of Rights.
»*i* i
Pennsylvania
Humanities
Council
320 Walnut Street, Suite 305
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
(215)925-1005
Samuel Gubins, Ph.D., Chair
Craig R. Eisendrath, Ph.D., Executive Director
Joan R. Challinor, Ph.D., Project Director
The final panel in the exhibit serves to summarize the
experience of the previous eleven panels by focusing on civic
responsibility:
what do we, as Americans, need to do "To
Preserve These Rights"?
The theme of this panel is developed
through photographs of Americans engaged in the business of
preserving rights guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights through voting, through eduction, through military
service.
The overall tone is positive and patriotic, and we
intend for viewers to leave the exhibit inspired with a sense of
the degree to which our freedoms, as explored in the exhibit as a
whole, depend on each individual's informed and thoughtful
participation in the democratic process.
The User's Guide will develop the themes of the exhibit in
greater detail, with special attention to the historical
development of the concept of rights and liberties, and the
importance of the judicial system to the definition of the rights
and liberties enjoyed by Americans today.
The Guide will also
contain classroom exercises for grades 4 through 12 and
bibliographies for grades 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and for adult
readers.
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council is confident that this
exhibit represents an unparalleled opportunity to generate among
the American people a sense of civic responsibility and an
appreciation for our past history, present liberties, and future
obligations.
Additional information is enclosed:
detailed panel contents,
free-standing kiosk description, an article that will be
reprinted in the User's Guide, and an example of a panel.
THE BILL OF RIGHTS EXHIBIT
Produced by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council
DESCRIPTION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA HUMANITIES COUNCIL'S
BICENTENNIAL BILL OF RIGHTS EXHIBIT
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To commemorate the historic passage of the Bill of Rights in 1991
and explicate its contemporary meaning, the Pennsylvania
Humanities Council has developed a twelve-poster exhibit and an
educational "User's Guide" for extensive nationwide distribution.
The posters are graphically arresting and instructive. Each
poster focuses on a particular provision of the Bill of Rights
and features two types of texts: the pertinent language from the
Bill of Rights and quotations by jurists and other figures of
national stature. Visual material is primarily photographic,
emphasizing the contemporary relevance of the Bill of Rights and
its role in protecting, in both theory and practice, the rights
of Americans from governmental encroachment. The exhibits are
designed to impart to the viewer excitement, pride, and above all
an ongoing curiosity about these rights which inform and
influence virtually every aspect of our civic and private lives.
The following is a description of the visual imagery and
explanatory texts included in each poster.
4
Poster #1:
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THE BILL OF RIGHTS
This is the title poster for the exhibit. A vivid introduction
to the series, it provides a facsimile of the original Bill of
Rights, as well as the text of the Bill of Rights in modern
typeset to ensure its readability. Over the facsimile copy is
superimposed a screen of Americans gathered on the steps of the
Capitol Building, a symbol of the necessity for individual
participation in the operations of a democratic government.
A.
Photo of man and boy attending Fourth of July
celebration
B.
Photo of Bill of Rights in its display case with a
family looking at it
C.
Japanese children reciting Pledge of Allegiance
D.
Person taking oath of citizenship
E.
Man holding American flag
Pennsylvania
320 Walnut Street, Suite 305
Samuel Gubins, Ph.D., Chair
Humanities
Council
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
(215) 925-1005
Craig R. Eisendrath, Ph.D., Executive Director
Joan R. Challinor, Ph.D., Project Director
Poster #2:
ACCORDING TO ONE'S CONSCIENCE
This poster portrays the issues surrounding the First Amendment's
provision for freedom of religion and the prohibition against
government establishment of religion. In the background is a
large screen of a church.
Amendment I text: "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof."
A.
Photo of boy praying in school
The Supreme Court interprets the First Amendment to mean
that public schools cannot require students to read the
Bible or to recite prayers.
B.
Photo of Scopes trial
In 1925, John T. Scopes was tried and convicted in Tennessee
for teaching his students Darwin's theory of evolution,
which challenges a literal interpretation of the biblical
account of creation.
C.
Newspaper clipping of Muhammed Ali
Boxer Cassius Clay, now known as Muhammad Ali, refused to go
into the army because of his Moslem religious convictions.
He said, "I have searched my conscience, and I find that I
cannot be true to my religion by accepting such a call."
D.
Photo of Amish buggies
To preserve their traditional religious way of life, the
Old Order Amish have won the right to have their children
exempted from compulsory attendance in high school.
E.
Photo of nativity scene
The Supreme Court has decided that publicly sponsored
displays such as this nativity scene should not promote only
one religion.
F.
Photo of Buddhist monk
This priest is one of 100,000 American Buddhists.
G.
Listing of churches
This list of religious congregations in an American city
shows how widely citizens exercise their right of religious
freedom.
Poster #2 continued
H.
Photo of man praying
A Jewish observance of prayer.
I.
Drawing of wall of separation
"Thus building a wall of separation between church and
state."
Thomas Jefferson
J.
"The Religion then of every man must be left to the
conviction and conscience of every man."
James Madison
Poster #3:
FREE TO SPEAK; FREE TO WRITE
This poster deals with the First Amendment rights of freedom of
expression. In the background is a large screen of a newsboy.
Amendment I text: "Congress shall make no law... abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press."
A.
Two pictures of presidential debates: Lincoln and Douglas
in 1858 [engraving], and Kennedy and Nixon in 1960
[televised image]
Debates help us choose our leaders.
B.
Photo of man addressing town meeting
It is the right of all citizens to speak their minds
publicly.
C.
Photo of picket line
Picketing is a legitimate way to exercise freedom of speech.
D.
Photo of censored letter
During World War II, letters from people in the armed
services were often censored to prevent sensitive
information from reaching the enemy.
E.
Photo of candlelight vigil
Public protest often illuminates our deepest convictions.
F.
Photo of students with signs saying "Honk Save Our School"
These students are too young to vote, but they are not
too young to exercise their right to speak out.
x
G.
Photo of banned books
These books, once banned, are now freely available. Some
libraries and schools continue to censor books under
pressure from political or community groups.
"A State has no business telling a man, sitting alone
in his own house, what books he may read."
Justice Thurgood Marshall
Poster #3 continued
H.
Photo New York Times "Pentagon Papers" article
In 1971, the New York Times published documents
American involvement in Vietnam. Despite the
Administration's attempt to stop publication of
Pentagon Papers, the newspaper went ahead. Its
publish was upheld by the United States Supreme
about
the
freedom to
Court.
Poster #4:
TO GATHER TOGETHER
This poster portrays the First Amendment protection of the right
of assembly.
Amendment I text: "Congress shall make no law...abridging...the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances."
A.
Photo of Martin Luther King rally in Washington, D.C.
Standing in peaceful assembly before the Lincoln Memorial on
August 28, 1963, 200,000 people heard Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. declare:
"Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy. Now
is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of
segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice."
B.
Photo-like drawing of marchers
After decades of struggle, workers won the right to organize
and bargain collectively.
"I march because I must, and because I'm a man, and
because I'm a child of God."
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
C.
Photo of farmers
Farmers meet to voice concerns about the future of the
family farm.
D.
Photo of demonstration by Native Americans
Native Americans protest their historic mistreatment by the
government.
E.
Screen of Klansman with photo inset of demonstration in
Skokie
Residents of Skokie, Illinois protested a parade by the
American Nazi Party.
"The worst citizen no less than the best is entitled to
equal protection of the laws of his state and of his
nation."
Justice Hugo Black
F.
Photos of demonstrators with placards (both sides are
represented)
People on both sides of the issue feel strongly about
a woman's right to choose whether to have an abortion.
Poster #4 continued
G.
Communist League of America membership card
"Our Constitution protects all minorities..."
Justice William O. Douglas
H.
Reproduction of Petition for the Abolition of Slavery
Poster #5: A CITIZEN ARMY/THE SANCTITY OF HOME
This poster deals with the Second and Third Amendment rights
governing the establishment of a militia and protecting Americans
from having troops quartered in their homes.
Amendment II text: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to
the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and
bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Amendment III text: "No Soldier shall, in time of peace be
quartered in an house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in
time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law."
A.
Screen of National Guardsman
The reasons for the inclusion of the Second Amendment are
rooted in the 18th century. Americans feared standing
armies and wanted their nation to be protected instead by
citizen soldiers in organized militia. The Amendment was
not concerned with the right to bear arms for personal
use but was intended to make certain that able-bodied men,
and now women, could be equipped and trained to defend the
Republic. The militia of those years are the National
Guards of today.
B.
Screen of 18th-century painting of quartering of troops
Until the end of the War for Independence, Americans were
compelled to house and feed British and American troops.
The Third Amendment prevents the quartering of troops in
private homes during peacetime, and requires an act of
Congress to permit such quartering during wartime. This
Amendment exemplifies the Constitutional principle of
subordinating military to civilian authority.
C.
Photo of John Kennedy's funeral
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was fatally
shot. Assassination poses a threat to stable government.
D.
Photo of hunting and target practice
Hunting and target practice with firearms are legitimate
forms of recreation.
E.
Photo of youths with guns
Easy access to handguns has given the United States one of
the highest homicide rates in the world. In a typical year
over 22,000 Americans are killed by people using handguns.
Poster #5 continued
F.
Photo of gun store proprietor
Automatic weapons designed for war are easily available in
gun stores.
G.
Photo of weapons
Some towns, like Morton Grove, Illinois, have required
citizens to turn in their handguns.
H.
Photo of the National Guard patrolling street
During riots in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1965,
the National Guard patrolled the streets protecting lives
and property.
I.
Bumper stickers and buttons
Keep Handguns Out of Wrong Hands
Guns Don't Kill People; People Kill People
Don't Buy War Toys
Poster #6:
SECURE AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE
This poster deals with the Fourth Amendment protections
surrounding search and seizure. In the background is a large
screen of a handcuffed individual being escorted by a police
officer.
Amendment IV text: "The right of the people to be secure in
their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable
searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants
shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched,
and the persons or things to be seized."
Explanatory text: The word "privacy" does not appear in the Bill
of Rights. The concept of privacy derives from the opening
statement of this Amendment, and today it is a fundamental human
right protected by the Constitution.
A.
Photo of FBI surveillance
these plainclothes officers have a suspect under
surveillance. They may not pursue activities that violate a
person's privacy without proper authorization.
B.
Photo of police officers entering home
Unless a crime is being committed, police officers must
obtain a search warrant to enter a person's home. The search
warrant must specify the illegal activity for which the
police expect to find evidence.
C.
Photos of arrest warrant and search warrant
These documents, an arrest warrant and a search warrant, must
be issued by a judge to provide authorization for the actions
of law enforcement officers.
D.
Photo of school-locker search
The courts have ruled that a student's school locker is not
considered to be private property protected by the Fourth
Amendment.
E.
Photo of newspaper clipping with headline, "Widespread Drug
Tests of U.S. Workers Unlikely" with photo of test tubes
Concerns about drug use in the workplace have prompted some
employers to require drug testing for their employees. Many
people consider this to be an invasion of privacy and a
violation of the Constitutional protection against
unreasonable searches.
Poster #6:
SECURE AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE
This poster deals with the Fourth Amendment protections
surrounding search and seizure. In the background is a large
screen of a handcuffed individual being escorted by a police
officer.
Amendment IV text: "The right of the people to be secure in
their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable
searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants
shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched,
and the persons or things to be seized."
Explanatory text: The word "privacy" does not appear in the Bill
of Rights. The concept of privacy derives from the opening
statement of this Amendment, and today it is a fundamental human
right protected by the Constitution.
A.
Photo of FBI surveillance
these plainclothes officers have a suspect under
surveillance. They may not pursue activities that violate a
person's privacy without proper authorization.
B.
Photo of police officers entering home
Unless a crime is being committed, police officers must
obtain a search warrant to enter a person's home. The search
warrant must specify the illegal activity for which the
police expect to find evidence.
C.
Photos of arrest warrant and search warrant
These documents, an arrest warrant and a search warrant, must
be issued by a judge to provide authorization for the actions
of law enforcement officers.
D.
Photo of school-locker search
The courts have ruled that a student's school locker is not
considered to be private property protected by the Fourth
Amendment.
E.
Photo of newspaper clipping with headline, "Widespread Drug
Tests of U.S. Workers Unlikely" with photo of test tubes
Concerns about drug use in the workplace have prompted some
employers to require drug testing for their employees. Many
people consider this to be an invasion of privacy and a
violation of the Constitutional protection against
unreasonable searches.
Poster #6 continued
F.
G.
Photo of airplane with airport security and guard/search dogs
Airports have adopted stringent security measures to protectn
the public from terrorist attacks and the illegal importatio
of drugs.
"...the right to be let alone the most comprehensive of
rights and the right most valued by civilized men."
Justice Louis Brandeis
Poster #7:
DUE PROCESS OF LAW - PROTECTION FOR ALL
This poster presents a flow chart of the operation of criminal
justice. In the background is a large screen of blindfolded
Justice with her scales.
Amendment V text: "No person shall be held to answer for a
capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or
indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land
or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time
of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the
same offence to twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall
be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,
nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process
of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use,
without just compensation."
Amendment VI text: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused
shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an
impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall
have been committed, which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of
the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him;
to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor,
and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."
Amendment VIII text: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor
excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments
inflicted."
A.
Photo of a police officers with a suspect
Crime. The vast majority of crimes are violations of state or
local laws, rather than federal laws.
B.
Picture of handcuffed hands
Arrest. No one can
enforcement officer
a crime is being or
by a judge. People
against them and to
C.
be arrested or searched unless a law
has reasonable grounds for believing that
will be committed or has a warrant issued
have the right to know the charges
be represented by a lawyer.
Photo of a judge
Hearing. If the preliminary hearing discloses a mistaken
identity, improper investigative procedure, or other errors,
the case should not proceed. If the case goes forward, the
court may not set excessively high bail.
Poster #7 continued
D.
Photo of an indictment
Indictment. In cases of serious crimes a group of citizens
assembled as a Grand Jury must decide if there is probable
cause to indict and bring the accused to trial.
E.
Photo of a defendant in court
Trial/Conviction. No one can be convicted unless a jury is
unanimously convinced that the defendant is guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt.
F.
Picture of judges
Appeal. Most states provide an automatic right of appeal to
a higher court; other states require the defendant to show
that there were errors in the trial.
G.
Photo of the Supreme Court
Defendants have a right to appeal their cases to the United
States Supreme Court but not a right to have their cases
heard. The Justices sometimes agree to hear cases which
involve important Constitutional issues.
Poster #8:
LIBERTY AND PROPERTY
This poster deals with issues of civil, as opposed to criminal,
law
land use, property rights, etc. In the background is a
large screen of the "American home and family."
Amendment V text: "Nor shall any person...be deprived of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use, without just
compensation."
Amendment VII text: "In suits at common law, where the value in
controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by
jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be
otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than
according to the rules of the common law."
A.
Photos of Japanese relocation:
up store
girl with tag; man boarding
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, some Americans
feared that Americans of Japanese descent might jeopardize
national security. Without due process of law, their homes
and property were confiscated, and may were confined in
internment camps.
B.
Photo of trial in progress
If the value involved in a civil suit exceeds twenty
dollars, the parties to the suit have the right to a trial
before a jury.
C.
Photo dealing with neighborhood planning issues
Private property may be taken for public use only if the
government follows due process of law and pays the owner
fair value for the property.
D.
Photo of stock certificates
Stocks are certificates of ownership that enable millions of
Americans to own shares in corporations.
E.
Photos representing zoning issues: agricultural land and
housing development; strip development
To ensure the appropriate use of land for agriculture,
housing, and commerce local zoning boards must weigh claims
carefully.
Poster #8 continued
Photos representing Wounded Knee:
armed Indian; tepee
In 1973 Native Americans seized the Sioux village of Wounded
Knee, South Dakota, site of an 1890 massacre, to dramatize
their grievances against the federal government. Native
Americans, the original inhabitants of North America, have
been systematically deprived of their lands. Today, the
federal government and the approximately two million Native
Americans in the United States are in conflict over
competing claims for traditional Native American lands.
Poster #9:
RIGHTS RETAINED BY THE PEOPLE AND THE STATES
Amendments IX and X delegate to the states and the people the
power to legislate all those rights not expressly stated in the
previous eight amendments. In the background is a large screen
of the American flag.
Amendment IX text: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of
certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people."
Amendment X text: "The powers not delegated to the United States
by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
A.
Photos of roulette wheel and bar ID sign
States have the power to regulate gambling and to establish
the minimum age for drinking alcholic beverages.
B.
Photo of wedding ring/black and white hands
States have the power to set the legal conditions for
marriage. Interracial marriage, formerly prohibited by some
states is protected by the Constitution.
C.
Photo of voting booth
States may no longer place impediments to the free exercise
of the right to vote by citizens of the United States.
D.
Photos of speed limit/"buckle up" highway signs/highway
construction
The states and the federal government cooperate in highway
construction and highway safety regulations.
E.
Photos of pro-choice/anti-abortion pickets
Abortion is regulated by a combination of federal judicial
decisions and state statutes.
F.
Photo of couple enjoying the countryside
The right to the peaceful enjoyment of life, liberty, and
property is retained by the people.
G.
Photo of children in a classroom
One of the major responsibilities of the states is to
provide for public education.
H.
"The precious rights of the individual....must be preserved
in fact as well in theory.
Justice Abe Fortas
Poster #10:
TO REMOVE THE STAIN OF SLAVERY
This poster deals with the Civil War Amendments (XIII, XIV, and
XV) which abolished slavery, ensured citizenship to all who were
qualified, and provided that the franchise not be denied to
citizens. In the background is a screen of two children, one
black and one white.
Amendment XIII text: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude,
except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any
place subject to their jurisdiction."
Amendment XIV text: "No State shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of
the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny
to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the
laws."
Amendment XV text: "The right of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or
by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude."
A.
Screen of 19th-century African-American family
Before 1865, more than four million Americans were slaves.
Many slave families triumphed over conditions that
threatened their existence.
B.
Photo of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
C.
Portrait of Frederick Douglas
Frederick Douglas, a self-educated former slave, was a
leading spokesman in the nineteenth century for the rights
of African-Americans.
D.
Photo of Rosa Parks
By her courageous refusal to sit in the back of a bus in
Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks began the process by which
all public transportation in the United States became
desegregated.
E.
Photo of segregated facilities
Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African-Americans and
other minorities experienced discrimination in the use of
public facilities.
Poster #10 continued
F.
Photo of a man and voting booth
Voting provides access to the political process for all
citizens
G.
Photos of prominent African-Americans
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Barbara Jordan - Member, United States House of
Representatives
Thurgood Marshall - Justice, United States Supreme Court
Poster #11:
NATIONALIZING THE BILL OF RIGHTS
This poster deals with the process by which the liberties
guaranteed in the Bill of Rights were extended, one by one, to
the states. In the background is a large screen of the Supreme
Court building.
Amendment XIV text: "All persons born or naturalized in the
United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they
reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty,
or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Explanatory text: Originally, the Bill of Rights limited the
power of the federal government only; it did not apply to the
states. The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
provided the Constitutional means for extending the liberties
guaranteed by the Bill of Rights by limiting the power of the
states. Using this clause in the 1920s, the United States
Supreme Court held that a state could not deprive people of their
first Amendment right of free speech. Later the Court
incorporated other Bill of Rights freedoms, making provisions of
the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Ninth Amendments
applicable to the states. Today, the Bill of Rights is
"nationalized" because its provisions apply to both the federal
government and the states.
A.
Photos of all the state flags
Flags of the 50 states
B.
Reproduction of table of contents from The Saturday Press
State restrictions on the freedom of the press have been
held to violate the First Amendment by the Supreme Court.
C.
"Gideon's Trumpet" photo of Henry Fonda/photo of the
Scottsboro Boys
The Sixth Amendment right to counsel in all criminal trials
has been applied to state courts. The cases of these young
men from Scottsboro, Alabama, and Florida's Clarence
Gideon, here portrayed by Henry Fonda, brought this issue
before the Supreme Court.
D.
Photo of integrated lunch counter
The desegregation of public accommodations was achieved by
federal judicial decisions and confirmed by the Civil Rights
Act of 1964.
Poster #11 continued
E.
Photo of school bus and children
The Supreme Court has held that public transportation of
parochial school students does not violate the
establishment clause of the First Amendment.
F.
Photo of birth control clinic
The Supreme Court has held that access to information about
contraceptives cannot be limited by the states because of
the right to privacy inherent in the Fourth Amendment.
G.
Photo of Jehovah's Witness
The First Amendment protection of freedom of religion cannot
be denied by the states. Jehovah's Witnesses distribute
religious literature throughout the United States.