Chicago in the first half of the twentieth century represented all the promise and problems of the new urban society. Its multiethnic population brought a mix of cultures to Chicago, and its factories were among the most efficient in the industrial world. Chicagoans of the early twentieth century were also at the forefront of American movements for social, economic, and cultural reform and revolution. The conflict between advocates for change and defenders of the status quo would shape the possibilities for free speech and redefine the limits of government power over Americans’ political debate and private behavior.