Why Are the Rights to Assembly and Petition Important to Liberty?

The Founders knew that an individual's voice is at its most powerful when he can freely come together with citizens of like mind and speak as one. People in the United States have organized, demonstrated, petitioned, and protested in a variety of ways and on a variety of topics, many controversial, since our very beginnings. These rights, however, are not unlimited and must find balance with the rights and safety of others. This lesson explores this balance.

Objectives

• Students will understand the history and tradition of the rights to petition and assemble.
• Students will identify ways, past and present, in which Americans petition the government.
• Students will understand limitations on the right to petition and assemble.
• Students will create a petition pertaining to a social or political issue they care about.
• Students will appreciate the importance of the protections of assembly and petition to a free society.

Student Handouts

• Handout A: Background Essay—Where Did the Rights to Petition and Assembly Come From, and How Do Americans Exercise Them?
• Handout B: Assembly and Petition True/False Challenge
• Handout C: A Petition

Teacher Resources

• Why Are the Rights to Assembly and Petition Important to Liberty? Answer Key