Image Source - ​'Big Bill' Haywood: The 'Wobbly' Giant
Instructions ​
Guided Notes
Videos & Article - 'Big Bill' Haywood: The 'Wobbly' Giant
  • From the interview with Utah Phillips, what was the IWW?
  • What were the major concerns of the IWW?
  • What were the reactions of the US government and other public opinions towards the IWW?
  • Did you enjoy listening to a particular song of the IWW music? Did you find a song that you did not like? Explain your response using details such as the lyrics of the songs.
  • What is the legacy of the IWW?

Espionage Act of 1917
Sourcing Questions
  1. What groups of Americans especially opposed the United States entering World War I?
  2. Why did Congress pass the Espionage Act?
Comprehension Questions
  1. How was the punishment for violating Section 2 different during times of war than times of peace?
  2. To what extent was a person who violated the Espionage Act subject to punishment?
  3. The phrase “in time of war” appears in this act four times. Why do you think Congress included this phrase?
Historical Reasoning Questions
  1. The Espionage Act of 1917 is still used in the modern day to prosecute individuals who release information related to national security. Do you think it is effective for national security to be protected in the same way as it was in 1917?
  2. Charles Scheck was a socialist who published materials encouraging draftees to petition against the draft. The U.S. government prosecuted him under the Espionage Act, arguing that this violated the text of Section 3, which prohibited the encouragement of mutiny and disorder in the military. Scheck argued that the law represented a violation of his First Amendment rights. Do you agree with him? Explain.
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Last Updated May 16th, 2022.