The (Literal) Fight for Free Speech They Don’t Teach You
Immigrant and Vermont congressman Matthew Lyon was in jail when he was reelected. Not for the fight he started in the halls of Congress but for his willingness to criticize the relatively new government of the United States. For the first time in American history, freedom of speech was up for debate. And Matthew “Spittin” Lyon was just the guy to fight for it.
This episode of Rogue History is part of PBS’ America@250 collection, celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary. Democracy is built on participation. Get involved at vote.org
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Rogue History
It’s been said that history is written by those in power. But what about the outlaws, outcasts, and rogues? What if they had their say? Rogue History, a digital series produced by PBS Digital Studios and PBS North Carolina, shakes the dust off the history books to unravel myths, unearth narratives, and discover fresh perspectives.
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@brandonbrown8812
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
History repeats
@johnwhite-q7s
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
liberals have been attacking free speech for years by labeling everything they disagree with as hate speech. or they equate speech they don’t like with violence.
defend free speech with your lives
@susanr5546
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Excellent history lesson. When the Constitution and the Bills of Rights were first signed, only land owners could vote, so that meant white males. That is the definition of an oligarchy. The commentary tells use all clearly that we must be vigilant in order to keep our rights or we will lose them, as we are now losing them.
@Sven-d8o
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Free speech can coexist with not being able to knowingly lying about the government.
@devi3ant
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Free speech and press among other rights are being threatened now
@FahQOligarchs
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Love your show sir. Thank you
@damelalana
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
The journalism today is violating and completely disrespecting the 1st Amendment on a daily basis. The 1st amendment has been misconstrued to mean you can say anything you want without exemption. Well the 1st amendment was not created to protect blatant lies and fabricated stories that are completely void of truth and that is what our media does nowadays with no integrity at all in the reporting of the news. Everything is redacted or screened before its dissemination. Important news that does not fit their narrative are withheld from the public. Journalism has to be held to way higher set of standards because the transparency it is supposed to generate is suppose to keep people honest. Instead the journalism is part of the collusion of bad actors deceiving the public with disinformation. Democracy cannot exist with a press that is controlled by a state of bad actors only interested its the preservation of power.
@Thunderball.Mcgillicutty
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
The literal people who rewrite history…..PBS is such a scam
@myrnaday-x6b
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
John Adams did not do the one thing his amazing wife asked "Don't forget the ladies."
@EwoksALot
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Fast forward to 2025 and Trump is invoking portions of this same Sedition act of 1798… but no… free speech is definitely "not" under attack 🤨
@matthartman19
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Surely the McCarthy era in American history is an example of how The predominant 'group think' led to castigation at best and outright criminalization of anything but the status quo.
@barbaraolson6783
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Join us No Kings Day, Please March 28, 2026, Google a gathering near you, or host a gathering to celebrate citizens votes. Andthe USA CONSTITUTION !
@virginiachris80
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
What a fascinating story! Matthew Lyons was a hero and a patriot. I think Bernie Sanders carries his will of fire and the fight for democracy. Thanks Joel Cook and PBS. Liked and subscribed
@cdjhyoung
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Hey, PBS title writer: How about getting rid of the click bait "they didn't teach you in school" tag line? It demeans your entire presentation by making it seem our educators were hiding the truth or lying to us as students . Neither is true. With 3000 years of recorded history world wide, no matter what could be covered in 250 hours of class room each would need to prioritize certain subjects more so than others. It isn't what they didn't teach you, it more like it what there simply wasn't time to cover.
@demonfighter4
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
@pbsorigins can you do a video on the swamp fox
@tumulterudition3228
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Pretty sure at least 30% of what the DOJ is doing now targets free speech.
@ManoftheNorth1
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
The only true americans are the indigenous.
@shaec3405
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Holy shit Vermont saved the country and freedom that's amazing. 100% tracks that's Bernie's state. 😊
@shaec3405
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
It's crazy to think about the anti-federalist s were those arguing for the Bill of Rights Like that's just wild cuz it seems like everybody was on the same side looking back but nobody ever agrees on everything do they
@KaypableKay
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
And now I'm going to dive into Matthew Lyon history, because he sounds cool
@torid5892
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
I never thought I would see a day when an American in Minnesota would decline to give their name to a reporter out of fear of retaliation.
@yessumify
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
I love history ❤
@darrenclaxton7652
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
My last comment is about today and i will have to listen to this episode.
@darrenclaxton7652
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Pbs is a leftest lying broadcast.Look at the evidence coming out now about a stolen election,false charges against Trump.Well some of his historyis true but there is mistakes,the left cant define what a woman is,the 1st amendment freedom of speach has been distorted by the left,especially today where the use violence and dox policemen and ice who are removing illegal leftest voters which is what these illegal immigrants are to them.When you tell people a 7 or 8 year old can choose their gender and not tell the parents.The left is trying to destroy the usa with lies and perverted policies.
@richardlord7775
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
5 freedoms are in the first not 4. Freedom from a state religion.
@CatfishYellow
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
4:20 1st act after winning congressional seat was telling the Federalist !!INCLUDING LATER PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS WHO SIGNED AND RATIFIED THE TREATY OF TRIPOLI!! Matthew "Spittin'" Lyon kicked founder father John Adams into
assuring that this has NEVER been a country built on christianity bur rather a nation open to ALL RELIGONS EQUALLY!! A very important footnote as only in 1978 did Indeginous Americans finally get freedom of religon and christian nationality was never EVER desired by the people! The Senate ratified it!
@Sondan1988
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Now do a story over Pres. Lincoln for jailing Citizens for free speech, jailing journalist for publishing newspapers, and how the President ignored the rulings of the Supreme Court.
@sassygrace1965
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
There was a few things I disagreed with, but overall great job putting it together now I would love if you could tell my story how they kidnapped my children for free speech and I'm still alive. Sassy Grace Woodruff.
@CassiesPetParent
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Like School House Rocks videos, PBS videos should also be regularly shown in schools.
#TheMoreYouKnow 🌈🌟
@youtubian0
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Great video and thanks for telling the story of this dynamic period of US history!
Just wanted to chime in that 7:00 it seems like Lyon was going to be ridiculed, was going to be targeted, and would ultimately be jailed regardless of his actions. He wasn't the vulnerable one, it was the Adams administration and their contempt for the voice of the people that was vulnerable, and so lashed out legislatively by creating tools used even today to chill free speech.
@BathrobeKeck
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
It's been partisan politics since day one….
@firstordercommandergames2542
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
I recall when Obama sent FBI and DOJ after American citizens for mocking his big ears…he's just a big stiff and couldn't take a joke. 😂
@brokenrecord3523
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Federalist = Authoritarian
@manjarichatterji9349
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Do more stories like this in theze embattled times
@lath938
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
You know, the older I get, the more I'm on the side of the anti-federalists.
@DelanaWentzel
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Matthew Lyon was my sixth great grandfather. My mother did a lot of genealogy on him and other ancestors. It’s great to see his story being told by PBS. Thank you.
@Josh-r3q
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Is there any symbolic resonance for using fire tongs to defend oneself?
I feel like there is something there, but I might just be reading too much into a story that sounds like a fable rather than a historical event.
@kHanSolo69
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Brother, I have no idea if anything you’re saying is true. Mostly, because history is mostly a lie… But, I did your style, man! 🤩 and the pursuit of knowledge is always a worthwhile endeavor. 😊👍🏼
@Panicjac
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
YouTube stopped working when I first started this video.
@nc3826
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
Ironic, considering how so much, higher education has become, so anti-free speech. In this age of entitlement. How can we still have free speech, when so many, are given the right to silence others, based on their "supposed right" not to be offended.
Which included this post, that was based on a simplistic narrative, about Matthew Lyon. And the limits of free speech. Such as liable or yelling fire in a building, when there's no fire. And later examples such as "Abraham Lincoln throughout the Civil War, Lincoln restricted civil liberties, including First Amendment press freedoms and other freedoms of expression."
The Constitutional right of free speech in the USA has always been elastic.
So the Populists who, defunded PBS, did have a Legitimate point. As much as I disagree with their narrow-mindedness. Sad State of Affairs.
@webcelt
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
A costuming point: trying to fit in with an 18th century set will go better with an 18th century shirt rather than a modern shirt leaving it unbuttoned at the top and not wearing a tie doesn't stop it being modern, even if it feels less obvious than a t-shirt. Otherwise no costume at all might be less distracting.
@CatfishYellow
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
8:11 John Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli. In modern times why are there so many christian churches especially here in Texas when an amendment that was ratified for the inclusion of all religons equally? Even until 1978 indigenous americans could practice their native religions by ratification.
Illusion of power was anti-federalist who are now Republicans fighting for Jesus.
@grizzerotwofour7858
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
amazing how far we have not come
@evangelineisolde
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
I love PBS
@DonD-m6i
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
I’m tired of dealing with crazies on the left destroying intellectual and linguistic freedom and crazies on the right destroying anything that doesn’t conform to their fascist orthodoxy. Plenty of blame to go around.
@briananderson687
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
it has not gone away — thank you for reminding us!
@jessephillips8319
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
It is definitely interesting to realize that the founding basically wanted dismantle the protections it had just put into place.
You know what they say, "fight for your right to party"
@theLaterOne
May 20, 2026 at 11:33 am
The imprisonment of Eugene Debbs is another example of an attack on someone for expressing their 1st amendment rights. He even received over 1 million votes for president while in prison during the 1920 election.