Insights from History: Fire in a Crowded Theater - Lessons from History on Civil Liberties

As the current coronavirus situation has continued, America is faced with growing questions about our civil liberties. We are thinking about the actions the government can legitimately take in restricting the freedom of American citizens in a time of crisis. For example, when and how much can the government restrict your freedom of movement, speech, religion, or carrying on a business? Can the government even force you to be vaccinated?

To gain some historical insight on these and many other questions, Ashbrook is offered this webinar on April 15, 2020. Ashbrook Executive Director Jeff Sikkenga talked with Dr. Joseph Fornieri, a professor in Ashbrook’s graduate program and a professor of political science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Joe is an expert on civil liberties and the Constitution, and the editor of Ashbrook’s First Amendment volume in our Core Documents Collection.