"gag rule" </a>said it violated the First Amendment, specifically the freedom of petition. In this letter, Adams lays out a scathing critique of the argument that presenting anti-slavery petitions would violate the "rights of the South" and that those who present such petitions should be considered "an enemy to the Union."</p> <p>Adams fought the "gag rule" by continuing to present slavery petitions over Southern representatives' jeers and objections until the rule was rescinded in 1844. By that point, Congress was forced to accept that slavery was not an issue it could avoid debating.</p> " /> John Quincy Adams Defends the Right to Petition | NewseumED Skip Navigation
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John Quincy Adams Defends the Right to Petition

In this letter, John Quincy Adams argues all people, including slaves, have the right to petition Congress.

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Artifact Date
February 9, 1837
Topic(s)
  • Civil Rights
  • Constitution
  • Politics
  • John Quincy Adams Defends the Right to Petition
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