An Evening with Stephen Solomon, Author of Revolutionary Dissent: How the Founding Generation Created the Freedom of Speech

On 10/8/2024 from 6:30-8:00pm, join The Ferguson Library and Connecticut Public for an evening with professor and author Stephen Solomon as he discusses his book Revolutionary Dissent: How the Founding Generation Created the Freedom of Speech.

Colonial Americans redefined the limits of their right to speak and write, which they inherited from Great Britain. In Revolutionary Dissent: How the Founding Generation Created the Freedom of Speech, Stephen D. Solomon explores how Americans from the 1690s through the 1790s deployed their technology and communication networks to expand participation in political discussions. To do this, he explores the role of almost every form of colonial communication, including books, newspapers, pamphlets, broadsides, songs, sermons, plays, letters, and many others which inspired and supported the Revolution.

Following Dr. Solomon’s presentation, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Lucy Nalpathanchil, Vice President of Community Engagement at Connecticut Public.

Registration is required.  This event also includes a book sale and signing by Elm Street Books.

Stephen D. Solomon is a Professor of Journalism at New York University, where he teaches First Amendment law. He is founding editor of First Amendment Watch (firstamendmentwatch.org), which provides news, commentary, and legal and historical context for the many free speech conflicts around the U.S. today  A previous book, Ellery’s Protest: How One Young Man Defied Tradition and Sparked the Battle Over School Prayer, told the story of the contentious Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled that state sponsorship of prayer and Bible reading in the public schools violated the First Amendment. Solomon is currently working on A Republic of Rights, to be published in February 2026, that describes how the founders protected individual rights in America and built safeguards against “the monster tyranny.” He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.

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