▁from ▁the ▁vic iss itudes ▁of ▁political ▁controvers y , ▁to ▁place ▁them ▁beyond ▁the ▁reach ▁of ▁major ities ▁and ▁officials ▁and ▁to ▁establish ▁them ▁as ▁legal ▁principles ▁to ▁be ▁applied ▁by ▁the ▁courts ." ▁This ▁is ▁why ▁" fund amental ▁rights ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁submitted ▁to ▁a ▁vote ; ▁they ▁depend ▁on ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁no ▁elections ." ▁ ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁ ▁The ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁prohib its ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁any ▁law ▁respect ing ▁an ▁establishment ▁of ▁religion , ▁imp eding ▁the ▁free ▁exercise ▁of ▁religion , ▁ab rid ging ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁speech , ▁in fr ing ing ▁on ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁the ▁press , ▁inter fer ing ▁with ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁peace ably ▁assemble ▁or ▁prohib iting ▁the ▁pet ition ing ▁for ▁a ▁government al ▁red ress ▁of ▁gr iev ances . ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁applied ▁only ▁to ▁laws ▁en act ed ▁by ▁Congress , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁prov isions ▁were ▁interpreted ▁more ▁narrow ly ▁than ▁they ▁are ▁today . ▁ ▁In ▁E vers on ▁v . ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁( 1 9 4 7 ), ▁the ▁Court ▁drew ▁on ▁Thomas ▁Jefferson ' s ▁correspond ence ▁to ▁call ▁for ▁" a ▁wall ▁of ▁separation ▁between ▁church ▁and ▁State ", ▁though ▁the ▁precise ▁boundary ▁of ▁this ▁separation ▁remains ▁in ▁dispute . ▁Spe ech ▁rights ▁were ▁expanded ▁significantly ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁ 2 0 th - ▁and ▁ 2 1 st - century ▁court ▁dec isions ▁that ▁protected ▁various ▁forms ▁of