The Espionage Act passed in 1917, during World War I. It prohibits anyone from using the US mail system to interfere with the war effect or the Selective Service Act of 1917. The act does not violate freedom of speech, used in Schenck Vs. United States. In Schenck Vs. United States, Charles Schenck distributed fliers to draft-age men, urging resistance to induction. As a result, he was captured as a violation of the Espionage Act. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes concluded that the defendant is guilty because he posed a "clear and present danger", therefore the first Amendment does not protect him. This act alongside with the Sedition Act of 1918 proved to be a set of useful laws during The Red Scare. These two acts acted as a way to capture suspicious people that could be related to the communist party.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage_Act_of_1917
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schenck_v._United_States
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-espionage-act
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