Workers against the City: The Fight for Free Speech in Hague v. CIO

The 1939 Supreme Court decision Hague v. CIO strengthened the right of Americans to assemble and speak in public places, re-evaluating the case from district court to the Supreme Court and revealing that assembly and speech rights change according to how judges and lawmakers act within the circumstances of a given moment.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 260 pages
Publication date: 11 September 2020
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

The 1939 Supreme Court decision in Hague v. CIO was a significant constitutional milestone that significantly bolstered the rights of Americans, including labor organizers, to assemble and speak in public spaces. In contrast to the prevailing narrative of the case as a morality play pitting Jersey City, New Jersey, political boss Frank Hague against the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) and allied civil libertarian groups, Donald W. Rogers offers a fresh perspective by drawing on a wide range of archives and evidence to re-evaluate Hague v. CIO from the ground up. Rogers' review of the case, from the district court to the Supreme Court, sheds light on the trial proceedings and presents perspectives from both sides. He highlights how the economic, political, and legal restructuring of the 1930s not only shaped constitutional rights but also influenced the outcome of the court case. The final decision in Hague v. CIO revealed that assembly and speech rights are not static but can be influenced by the actions of judges and lawmakers in specific circumstances.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252085369