First Amendment: Assembly and Petition Clauses O

Introduction

• Why did the Founding generation include assembly and petition rights in the First Amendment?
• How did the Founding generation exercise their assembly and petition rights?
• How have constitutional movements throughout history used assembly and petition rights to push for constitutional change?
• How has the Supreme Court addressed assembly rights over time?
• What are some of the key constitutional debates over assembly and petition rights?
• How can you assert your rights to freedom of assembly and petition today?

Students explore the founding era legacies of assembly and petition and how those legacies informed the creation of these often-overlooked aspects of the First Amendment. They will complete a close reading activity to compare and contrast ideas presented in the Interactive Constitution and describe the ways these rights have been interpreted by the Court and used by citizens at various points throughout U.S. history. They will evaluate the constitutionality of assembly and petition rights in the modern era through an in-class, civil dialogue addressing questions about time, place, and manner restrictions; counter-protests; protests on college campuses; and other relevant assembly and petition questions.