January 19, 2018
Period 6
Montana Sedition Act
Antiquities and relics were born in 1917 when the Montana Sedition Act created socialism in Montana causing devastating effects on the right to free speech. The effects rained over Butte during the bloodiest war on Earth, World War I. In 1917 new political parties were born, creating free speech problems staring in Butte Montana. The 1917 Montana Sedition Act was about the jurassic effects from World War I, the effects on Montana and the largest impact on people's right to speak.
In 1914 World War I was born in Germany. During this time a Sedition Act was born in Butte, Montana where people’s rights as humans to have free speech were being challenged while WWI had mammoth influences on this law. International World Workers and Socialists Condemned the war and didn’t want anything to do with it. Most of the farmers were of German descent and did not want to fight the motherland (Holmes, 207). This shows how I.W.W leaders and people were against and irritated at Woodrow Wilson for joining the war in Europe. This then caused people to speak freely and cause treason which they then got arrested. The red scare was a Communist political party that was greatly afraid of by American people, especially in Montana it created the I.W.W and the Socialists (Holmes, 207). These parties fought for people's rights in their jobs like working in the mines or farming etc. When people were afraid of the Red or communism it was more because of the fact that we are a democracy and capitalist government where people get to vote in their government. Lots of farmers were enraged at the low prices and agreed with the populists. Farmers were forced into poverty from their low sales that they lived off of (Malone, 207). Which caused controversy and the farmers who did agree with the populists joined into the I.W.W because of the resources like wheat or barley was at a very low price. During 1914 a war broke out over Europe creating a sedition act making jurassic effects on the peoples free speech.
In Montana of 1917 workers and Wobblies (I.W.W) were having their free speech being stripped away from them because of their points of view making problems from different ethnic groups and creating new laws against the American government. A law was passed stating “No man or woman can utter a word of disloyalty or hatred towards the soldiers in arms the Montana government or the Federal government.” (Malone, 214) This act provoked and caused a bigger problem instead of solving any current issues while destroying peoples free speech. After this another law passed banning German all together so people were violated from speaking a language that they grew loving, both for German and English (Holmes, 300). Montana did this as retaliation and because of the large German percentage in Montana, also the biggest threat in the war at this time was Germany. Later in Butte people were giving speeches about the war and 76 were arrested along with two women. Some were given fees up to 500 dollars (9,135 U.S dollars today) some were got up to five to ten years in prison (Malone, 206). People were giving speeches against the President and the war, all were arrested until the prison filled and couldn’t hold any more people. Most were let out, and a law was passed letting people have speeches in the town square but that didn’t solve all of the problems in Montana. Within Montana a Sedition act was formed instituting problems and conflicts with the right of free speech.
The act affected Montana by having I.W.W pour into Missoula, Montana and most received fees and fines. The International World Workers poured into Missoula within three days 43 were arrested. They all were preaching about the war and workers rights. As soon as one was arrested another one would stand up to replace them just to start their speech (Malone,205). This proves that showing their thoughts aloud was a felony, beliefs would put a man or woman in jail for five to ten years. During 1917 the socialist party and I.W.W had died down but exploded again because of a fire in a Butte mine killing 164 men (Holmes, 302). When this happened it caused a massive ripple effect and made the weak socialists to blow up again and gain power even seeping into politics. People wanted laws and bills to be passed for workers rights. Many Irish and German farmers did not like or even want to fight in the war at all. This angered the farmers which then most joined the I.W.W (Malone, 206). This shows how montana was greatly affected by the 1917 Montana Sedition act. This act greatly affected Montana forever.
An epidemic was constructed in 1917 when the sedition act was instituted by the government. The impacts and changes of Montana are still in affect today. Today in 2018 the NFL has brought in politics and free speech rights to the sunday games. Was the I.W.W or Socialists correct to fight for workers rights and peoples free speech.
Works Cited
Holmes ,Krys. Montana Stories of the Land. Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 2008.
Medium. Print.
Malone, Michael. A History of Two Centuries. Washington: Washington Press, 1980. Medium.
Print.
“The Montana Sedition Project.”Sedition Project.Net. University of Montana School of
Journalism. 11 Jan. 2018.Web. 10 Jan, 2018.
Very interesting article. Who would have thought that over 100 years ago in Montana there was such political turbulence; communism and socialism. I upvoted and followed : )
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