The History of Book Banning in the United States

The Reasons for Banning Books are Changing

Jun 15, 2022

girl sitting while reading book — Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Issue #68: Education

Book banning is a form of censorship, and the most widespread form of censorship in the U.S. Book banning occurs when private individuals, government officials, or various organizations successfully remove books from public libraries, schools, or bookstores primarily because they object to a book’s content, ideas, or themes.

Prior to the 1970s, most of the books banned contained obscenity or explicit sexuality, which those requesting the bans found objectionable or inappropriate for specific age groups.

It is commonly held that the first book to be nationally banned in the United States was Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, it was the 2nd best-selling book in the 19th century, just behind the Bible. The book was banned in the Confederate States because of its pro-abolitionist theme and because it initiated debates about slavery in general.

About ten years after the end of the Civil War, a government official named Anthony Comstock convinced the U.S. Congress to pass a law prohibiting the mailing of his definition of “pornographic” materials: anatomy textbooks, medical pamphlets about reproduction, all books by Oscar Wilde, and The Canterbury Tales. The Comstock Law stayed in effect until a Supreme Court decision in 1957 that forced a change in the definition of “obscenity.”

Book Banning in the later 20th Century

In the 1960s and 1970s, instances of book banning declined while explicit art in other forms accelerated. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president, and while he didn’t express specific anti-pornography views, he did fight against those who supported First Amendment freedoms for those who thought differently than he and the religion-focused “Silent Majority” first espoused by Richard Nixon.

Reagan’s election encouraged challenges to books that didn’t depict American life as they wished it to be. The bans included many classic titles such as Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

The courts have decided that although “community standards” can be taken into account when deciding which books to ban, jurisdictions cannot attempt to placate a small segment by outright banning books by generally accepted authors such as Mark Twain, J.K. Rowling, R.L. Stine, Judy Blume, and others.

Children’s Books that have been banned

Several books written for children have been banned in various states, mostly because the books “promote witchcraft, contain violence or sexuality, depict non-standard family configurations, or are disrespectful to God.”

Charlotte’s Web: a group of parents decided talking animals are disrespectful to God.
Harriet the Spy: parents thought the book teaches children to lie, spy, talk back, and curse.
Where the Wild Things Are: a group of parents thought this book was “too dark” and contained supernatural elements.
And Tango Makes Three: this book, based on two actual male penguins who care for an orphaned penguin in the Central Park Zoo in New York was banned because it ostensibly featured a same-sex relationship.
The Harry Potter Series: these books have been challenged over 650 times for depicting witchcraft, wizardry, and anti-family values.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: banned by the Detroit Public Library in 1957 for teaching children to become cowardly.

Adult Books that have been banned

For adults, the usual banned books: Brave New World, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, The Bluest Eye, and The Grapes of Wrath have been joined more recently with challenges to The Kite Runner, The 1619 Project, and any books thought to be “woke,” teach “critical race theory,” or are written by and/or for and/or about Black people, other people of color, and the LGBTQIA community.

Those who are against the banning of books cite the First Amendment and the fact that teenagers especially should have more of a say in the books they’d like to read.

Many anti-book banning organizations, including the American Library Association, and many bookstores promote “Banned Books Weeks” and special shelves for banned books. Many high school students have also formed their own book clubs, often featuring books banned in their schools and communities.

What do you think about banning books in America?

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