What does the first amendment protect and not protect?

Answer 1

This is the exact wording of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances".

This of course will answer the first part of your question more easily than the second. This amendment is about freedoms of speech & religion. Previously, the people who came to the United States people legally had to worship as the King told them they must. Under the first amendment, citizens of the US are free to worship (or to not) as they believe is right without being stopped by the government. It protected religion from "state".

A start to what speech is not protected by the first amendment is:

"Which types of speech are not protected by the First Amendment?

Although different scholars view unprotected speech in different ways, there are basically nine categories:

• Obscenity
• Fighting words
• Defamation (includes libel, slander)
• Child pornography
• Perjury
• Blackmail
• Incitement to imminent lawless action
• True threats
• Solicitations to commit crimes

Some experts also would add treason, if committed verbally, to that list. Plagiarism of copyrighted material is also not protected"