America has been built on freedom over the years. Freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom of worship, and freedom to do anything you want within the bounds of the law. American law was designed to protect and preserve these freedoms. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. It assures citizens that the federal government will not limit freedom of religion. It expressly prohibits Congress from establishing an official government-backed church. Under the First Amendment, the federal government cannot require citizens to pay taxes to support a particular church, nor can it prohibit people from worshiping in any way they see fit. However, if a certain religion recommends a practice that is contrary to public morality, such as polygamy, Congress can ban that practice (Weidner, Daniel, 2002). The people of the United States also have the right peaceably to assemble under the First Amendment. The only restriction comes from the word peacefully. The assembly cannot be prevented, as long as the competent authorities have reasonable assurance that the meeting will be peaceful (Weidner, Daniel, 2002). Since the dawn of our country's history, protecting fundamental freedoms has been very important to Americans. America's voice on freedom has been shaped throughout history. The Bill of Rights was originally drafted in June 1789. On December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified and added to the United States Constitution. James Madison stated that a bill of rights is good for “the tranquility of the public mind and the stability of government” (Burgar, Michael, 2002). Freedom of speech and freedom of the press were very important to the drafters of the Bill of Ri...... middle of paper ...... would have been completely different in many different ways. Works Cited Miami Herald Publishing Company v. Tornillo (1974). (n.d.). Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research and homework help. — Infoplease.com. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from http://www.infoplease.com/us/supreme-court/cases/ar22.htmlFirst Amendment Theories. (n.d.). Theories. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~rr194602/Media%20Law/Theories.htmlWeidner, D. W. (2002). Creating the Constitution: The people and events that shaped the nation. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow.Burgan, M. (2002). The Bill of Rights. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. Notable First Amendment court cases. (n.d.). American Library Association. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/