Freedom of the press is one of the five principal freedoms represented in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The constitution was ratified in 1791, bringing freedom of the press into full development. Since then, many cases have evolved with this freedom, and this freedom has played a certain role in the development of future amendments and technologies nowadays. Freedom of the press had a history even before its ratification, it helped resolve many court cases and is used throughout modern times. First of all, this is lawbrain.com's definition of press freedom. Freedom of the press guarantees the right “to gather, publish, and disseminate information and ideas without government restriction or coercion.” It is also guaranteed that Congress will make no law restricting the freedom of the press. This means that anyone can publish their own opinions in a newspaper or magazine and whatever the article, unless it complies with the laws of libel, obscenity or sedition, it is legal to publish. Many critics have claimed that there is no difference between freedom of speech and freedom of the press. This was a key question that was not resolved until the end of the 20th century. According to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in 1978, there is no difference between free speech and freedom of the press unless: "the courts or the government determine who the press is and what activities fall under its special protection” (Burger). The history of press freedom dates back to the mid-18th century, particularly the Stamp Act of 1865 and the events that followed. Samuel Adams, a radical, used the colonial press to resist and repeal the Stamp Act. He succeeded and soon after the Stamp Act was repealed. After...... middle of paper...... inition, court cases, articles, history - LawBrain." Legal Community | LawBrain - Making Laws Accessible and Interactive. Web. June 01, 2011. .Dictionary.com | Find meanings and definitions of at Dictionary.com Web, June 1, 2011. .Branzburg v. Hayes/New York Times v. United Stateshttp://www.oyez.org/cases/ 1970-1979. /1971/1971_70_85 / / http://www.oyez.org/cases/1901-1939/1918/1918_437. “Resources on the First Amendment, History of Freedom of the Press.” the First Amendment and Constitution Day, June 1, 2011. "Sedition Act of 1798.". 2011. .