peace, good order and comfort of the community, without unconstitutionally invading the liberties protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. Significance Before the Cantwell decision, it was not legally clear that the First Amendment protected religious practitioners against restrictions at the state and local levels as well as federal. But the Supreme Court in Cantwell said it did, thereby ushering in an era of greatly strengthened religious freedom. This case incorporated the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause, thereby applying it to the states and protecting free exercise of religion from intrusive state action. The Establishment Clause was incorporated seven years later in Everson v. Board of Education. See also Incorporation (Bill of Rights) R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, References Further reading External links "Religion: Freedom of Faith", Time magazine, April 8, 1940, contemporaneous article on the case, Online United States Supreme Court cases United States Supreme Court cases of the Hughes Court United States Free Speech Clause case law United States free exercise of religion case law Incorporation case law 1940 in United States case law Jehovah's Witnesses litigation in the United States American Civil Liberties Union litigation 1940 in Connecticut Legal history of Connecticut History of New Haven, Connecticut Christianity and law in the 20th century