Lesson Plan: The Pentagon Papers and the First Amendment – Teaching With Primary Sources (Scaffolded Writing Resources)
Grades 7-12
In 1971, the Nixon administration tried to stop The New York Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers, which were secret government documents about the Vietnam War. These papers showed that the government had not always been honest with the American people about the war. Nixon argued that publishing the documents could harm national security, while the publisher of the Times said the public had a right to know the truth. The disagreement went to the Supreme Court, which balanced national security and freedom of the press in New York Times Co. v. United States.
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