Disloyalty: Civil Liberties in America During World War I

Downloadable Lesson Plan
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Disloyalty: Civil Liberties in America During World War I

President Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI) to mold Americans into one white-hot mass of war patriotism. Congress also passed the Espionage Act (1917) and the Sedition Act (1918) to curb wartime dissent. These methods of garnering support for the war allowed for suppression of civil liberties. This lesson plan encourages students to look critically at these acts and decide for themselves when is it acceptable to limit American civil rights.