New York Times vs The United States was a legal case in which the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the newspaper to publish classified Pentagon papers without the risk of being censored by the government. President Nixon, relying on executive authority, attempted to force The New York Times into not publishing the documents.
The court based its decision on the first amendment of the Constitution, which prevented the government to create laws that would censor the right of freedom of speech of the citizens.
The largest fear was the position on the slave issue. The pro and anti slavery advocates feared that the addition of California to the Union could cause a senate majority on the other side. The territory was left without a formal government after a debate within the senate and failed the amendments about the addition of California.
