Commentaries by Ron Fein

On July 14, 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, which declared that any treasonable activity, including the publication of "any false, scandalous and malicious writing," was a high misdemeanor, punishable by fine and imprisonment. Learn more about the Sedition Act from the National Archives and Records Administration.

On July 14, 1789, ordinary citizens of France stormed the Bastille prison and freed prisoners held there. The event has come to symbolize the opening salvo in the French Revolution. One year later, France celebrated the establishment of a short-lived constitutional monarchy in Fête de la Fédération. The anniversary, Bastille Day, is celebrated today as a major French national holiday. Learn more about Bastille Day from the Government of France.