A 250-year Retrospective of Banned Books in America

America, the land of the free, has a long history of banning books. Censorship dates back to before 1776 and continues to this day. Early puritan colonists banned books critical of their ideology and governance. The Comstock Act of 1873 made it illegal to mail “lewd” materials including literature on birth control, reproduction, and abortion. More recently books on sexuality, identity, and critical race theory have been challenged, banned, and censored.

Censorship comes in many forms: removal, relocation, restriction and redaction. Book censorship restricts access to books, images, and ideas that a group, individuals or organizations finds objectionable. Objections may come from parents, city, county, state and federal entities, prisons, or the military. They seek to limit access to “inappropriate” literature for an entire population, be that children, prisoners, or soldiers. Censorship contradicts our rights as citizens to “…freedom of speech, or of the press…₂”.  

Whatever your feelings regarding book bans and censorship, you will find this exhibit insightful, illuminating aspects of our history that have been obscured or forgotten. We hope you will join us in our historical review of book bans as we celebrate 250 years of liberty and justice for all.3     

Special thanks to the San Francisco Public Library for the loan of most of the books in this exhibit and for partnering with us on programs and activities related to this exhibit.  

1. Star Spangled Banner, United States National Anthem

2. First Amendment of the United States Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

3. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, United States