selected
In opposition to licensing and censorship during the English Civil War, John Milton's Areopagitica was published, arguing for the right to free expression.
Related Wikipedia articles
English Civil War
Series of wars in England, 1642–1651
The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the struggle consisted of the First…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
John Milton
English poet and civil servant (1608–1674)
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem Paradise Lost was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and political upheaval. It addressed the fall of man, including the temptation of Adam…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Areopagitica
1644 prose polemic by John Milton
Areopagitica; A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc'd Printing, to the Parlament of England is a 1644 prose polemic by the English poet, scholar, and polemical author John Milton opposing licensing. Areopagitica is among history's most influential and…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Freedom of speech
Right to communicate one's opinions and ideas
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)