Final answer:
The Espionage Act affected people's constitutional rights by criminalizing behaviors that hindered the war effort or assisted the enemy, leading to the prosecution and silencing of war critics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Espionage Act, passed by Congress in 1917, affected people's constitutional rights by criminalizing a number of behaviors that hindered the war effort or assisted the enemy. It allowed the government to prosecute individuals for actions such as encouraging draft resistance or criticizing the government during wartime.
The Sedition Act of 1918 extended the provisions of the Espionage Act and made criticizing the federal government a criminal offense. These acts resulted in the conviction of over one thousand people and effectively silenced many war critics.