Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College Government and International Relations Honors Government and International Relations Papers Department 5-2009 The Restriction of Civil Liberties during Times of Crisis: The volutE ion of America's Response to National Military Threats Matthew .D Fairman Connecticut College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/govhp Part of the American Politics Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Fairman, Matthew D., "The Restriction of Civil Liberties during Times of Crisis: The vE olution of America's Response to National Military Threats" (2009). Government and International Relations Honors Papers. 7. http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/govhp/7 This Honors Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Government and International Relations Department at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Government and International Relations Honors Papers by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. THE RESTRICTION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES DURING TIMES OF CRISIS THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICA’S RESPONSE TO NATIONAL MILITARY THREATS An Honors Thesis Presented By Matthew David Fairman To the Department of Government in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Honors in the Major Field CONNECTICUT COLLEGE NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT MAY 1, 2009 ABSTRACT This treatise explores the nature and significance of the threat posed to civil liberties during times of major national military crisis and evaluates changes in the nature of wartime repression over the course of American history. It tests the thesis that the evolution in Americans’ response to such crises has not been a simple progression toward increasing restraint on the part of federal, state, and local policymakers, as is sometimes assumed. Rather, major twentieth and twenty-first century developments related to the nature of threats to American national security and government capabilities to covertly repress dissent have interacted with evolutionary changes in the nature of wartime repression in reinforcing and conflicting ways. Because of those changes, modern crises will last longer, the restriction of civil liberties during wartime will increasingly be accomplished through covert forms of repression, and, therefore, the durability of wartime restrictions will be greater. In sum, during future crises, Americans’ civil liberties will be restricted for longer periods, with the return to normalcy after those crises becoming increasingly difficult. To test this thesis, this treatise uses the past major national military crises in American history as case studies. They include the Quasi-War with France at the end of the 18th century, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. The concluding chapter connects the “War on Terror” to these arguments. Overall, the case study analysis in Chapters I through V combined with the overarching assessment of historical changes in the nature of wartime repression and the durability of wartime restrictions in Chapter VI prove the validity of this thesis. To my parents, Mary and David, Whose support and encouragement helped me to finish this treatise, And to Julia, whose support, understanding, and reminders not to drive myself too hard Kept me sane these last few months. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 2 Review of Relevant Literature .................................................................................................... 5 Methodology and Sources........................................................................................................... 6 Overview of Chapters ................................................................................................................. 7 I. QUASI-WAR WITH FRANCE (1798-1800) ............................................................................. 8 Background of the Crisis ............................................................................................................ 8 Trigger of the crisis ................................................................................................................. 8 Reaction to the crisis ............................................................................................................. 11 Restriction of Civil Liberties .................................................................................................... 13 Federal restrictions ................................................................................................................ 14 State and local restrictions .................................................................................................... 23 Executive tone toward civil liberties..................................................................................... 23 Deference of the U.S. Supreme Court .................................................................................. 26 Return to ―Normal‖ ................................................................................................................... 27 End of the crisis .................................................................................................................... 27 Duration of restrictions ......................................................................................................... 29 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 30 II. CIVIL WAR (1861-1865) ........................................................................................................ 32 Background of the Crisis .......................................................................................................... 32 Trigger of the crisis ............................................................................................................... 32 Reaction to the crisis ............................................................................................................. 36 Restriction of Civil Liberties .................................................................................................... 37 Federal restrictions ................................................................................................................ 37 State and local restrictions .................................................................................................... 56 Executive tone toward civil liberties..................................................................................... 56 Deference of the U.S. Supreme Court .................................................................................. 58 Return to ―Normal‖ ................................................................................................................... 60 End of the crisis .................................................................................................................... 60 Duration of restrictions ......................................................................................................... 63 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 65 III. WORLD WAR I (1917-1918) ................................................................................................ 67 Background of the Crisis .......................................................................................................... 67 Trigger of the crisis ............................................................................................................... 67 Reaction to the crisis ............................................................................................................. 69 Restriction of Civil Liberties .................................................................................................... 72 Federal restrictions ................................................................................................................ 73 State and local restrictions .................................................................................................... 88 Executive tone toward civil liberties..................................................................................... 90 Deference of the U.S. Supreme Court .................................................................................. 94 Return to ―Normal‖ ................................................................................................................... 95 End of the crisis .................................................................................................................... 96 Duration of restrictions ......................................................................................................... 97 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 106 IV. WORLD WAR II (1938-1945) ............................................................................................. 108 Background of the Crisis