Created by Prof. Jess McIntosh,
BHSEC Faculty
NYS Common Core Grades 11 & 12:
United States History and Government
Participation in Government and Civics
The case of People v. Croswell discusses concepts of criminal libel and sedition, in which Harry Croswell was accused of publishing defamatory statements about President Thomas Jefferson. Croswell’s defense argued that the charges were relics of an unenlightened era, where power and politics trumped reason and truth. Both in legal opinion and in the popular press, this unit, and these disputes, expose different perspectives on the relationships between truth and calumny; evidence and opinion; and national security and First Amendment rights.
This lesson plan meets the following guidelines of New York State’s Common Core Social Studies Framework (2017):
- Constitutional Foundations: 11.2c
- Foundations of American Democracy: 12.G1a
- Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: 12.G2a, 12.G2b, 12.G2c, 12.G2f
Lesson Plan PDF
Student Resources & Activities PDF
The Historical Society’s website contains a wealth of related resources, including mini-biographies of the lawyers and judges involved in the case.
People v. Croswell
Judicial Notice Article
People v. Croswell
3 Johns. Cas. 337 (N.Y. 1804)
Alexander Hamilton
Lawyer for Croswell
James Kent
Chief Justice of New York
Smith Thompson
NY Supreme Court Justice
Henry Brockholst Livingston
NY Supreme Court Justice
Ambrose Spencer
Lawyer for the People & NY Supreme Court Justice
Morgan Lewis
NY Supreme Court Justice
Image Citation: The Wasp, 1803. Public domain.