Storyline | American INSIGHT: Home of the Free Speech Film Festival

American INSIGHT Interns spent years of research and interviewed over a dozen scholars before they created the Storyline below. Based upon a series of murals painted by a 27-year old artist from Philadelphia named Violet Oakley, the message of this story is as relevant today as it was when it first appeared on the walls of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg over a century ago.

Placed in reverse chronological order, each image follows the path of Free Speech as it made its way through a series of individuals, from the printing of the Bible in English to the creation of the United States Constitution. From the American Revolution through to today's global digital revolution, the demand for Free Speech is an unstoppable force that continues to change all of our lives.

American INSIGHT's Free Speech Film Festival and Free Speech Blog carry this Storyline forward for today's online audiences. Some of the images below link to Wikipedia articles; an increasing number link to the historical websites and documentaries that have been produced inhouse by the Interns at American INSIGHT. Please feel free to click each image below to find out more: