At the turn of the 20th century the world was facing a host of changes- industrialization, urbanization, mechanization, and a revolution in the role of women in society. And not everyone was on board with the changes. The conflict came to a head in January, 1908, when the New York City Board of Aldermen banned women smoking in public, sparking a debate that seems at once both remarkably anachronistic and shockingly familiar today.
The “Great Sedition Trial” uncovered shocking connections at the time with the German reich that we were fighting, and challenged the idea that the nation was of a single mind during the war. It also challenged exactly how far the national commitment to freedom of speech and opinion reached, especially in extraordinary times.