Congress passed the Espionage Act in June 1917 in an attempt to suppress opposition to the U.S. war effort during World War I. The act made it illegal to interfere with the draft, refuse military service, or spread information about the national defense. The Espionage Act was aimed at any activity the government considered a threat to the nation or the war effort. The Espionage Act gave the postmaster general the authority to block the delivery of newspapers, magazines, or other material thought to cause disloyalty or opposition to the war. The government targeted leftist groups like the Socialist Party and the Industrial Workers of the World because they asked Americans to refuse the draft and sometimes encouraged the use of violence to disrupt the war effort. Americans found guilty of violating the act faced up to a $10,000 fine and 20 years in prison. The government considered it necessary to limit the freedoms of assembly, press, and speech in order to keep the nation united and to win the war. Many Americans thought these limits to the First Amendment went too far. Congress disagreed and strengthened the Espionage Act in 1918 with the Sedition Act. In the 1919 Schenck v. United States ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that the laws did not violate the Constitution.
