Espionage Act of 1917 and anti-war women protest

On June 15, 1917, shortly after the US entry into World War I, Congress passed Espionage Act of 1917. According to the Espionage Act any interference with the operation or success of the armed forces of US and support of America’s enemies during wartime was punishable by death or by imprisonment up to 30 years, as well as, disloyalty, mutiny, interferes with military recruitment and refusal of military duty was punishable by imprisonment up to 20 years. In 1918 the Espionage Act was extended by set of amendments, which prohibited many forms of speech, such as any disloyal or abusive language against US government, US flag or US Army and Navy. Next year The US Supreme Court unanimously supported the Act stating that it did not violate the free speech rights of those convicted under its provisions. This Act leads to the several arrests and prosecutions of activist women, such as, Rose Harriet Pastor Stokes-socialist activist, feminist, birth control advocate and writer, or anti-war activist Kate Richards O’Hare during WWI years. But their protests and criticism of the war threatened the national power of the patriotic mothers. They were the very first anti-war protesters, whose ideas succeeded only in mid 70’s with the end of Vietnam War.