Amended! Liberty's Guide to the First Amendment

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees some of the most fundamental rights that shape American society today. Yet, many of us struggle to fully grasp what these freedoms truly mean in our daily lives. This first episode of Amended! delves into its five freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

It examines the historical context of the Bill of Rights, how these rights have evolved over time,...

The First Amendment’s freedom of religion clauses were the Founding Fathers' way of saying, “Hands off people’s beliefs,” but the way they work in real life is far more complicated, thanks to the constant pressure of believers from the Jehovah's Witnesses to the Satanic Temple.

In this episode, Liberty explores how the Free Exercise Clause—the "believe what you want" rule in the Constitution—has constantly been tested by wo...

Free speech: the most iconic right guaranteed by the First Amendment. And, of course, one of the most controversial. Defining what counts as "speech" and when it can be regulated has sparked some of the most explosive cultural and legal battles in American history.

In this episode, Liberty digs into landmark cases that have shaped modern free speech doctrine: from a once-scandalous French art film that now feels quaint, to ...

The Free Press Clause was written for a world of ink and paper. But what happens when anyone with a smartphone can be a journalist, and powerful billionaires can secretly bankroll lawsuits to silence outlets they dislike?

In this episode of Amended!, host Liberty explores one of the most urgent and unsettled questions in First Amendment law: who counts as "the press" today, and who gets the protections that come with it.

Fro...

Understanding the Hidden Power of the First Amendment's Right to Assemble — And Why It Matters More Than Ever

Ever wondered why rallies, protests, and even social media blockades are the backbone of democracy? Buckle up, because we're diving into a constitutional cornerstone that’s more relevant than your Wi-Fi password.

Most of us think freedom of speech is the star of the First Amendment, but there's a behind-the-scenes h...

The last right enshrined in the First Amendment is perhaps the least known and the most ignored: the right to petition the government for the redress of grievances. The simple act of petitioning evolved from a royal court privilege to a primary function of the U.S. Congress.

In this final episode of the first season of Amended! digs into the history, struggles, and the surprisingly old power of petitions in shaping monarchi...