The Comstock Act

Exploring the Essential Primary Sources
Table of Contents
26 The Comstock Act
26 The Comstock Act
https://doi.org/10.3735/9781968349172.book-part-26

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Abstract

Under the Comstock Act of 1873, the federal government had the power to regulate and seize any informational literature and/or materials that were sent via the United States Postal Service that were deemed to be obscene or immoral. The legislation was rather vague in its interpretation of what was viewed as obscene, so there was not a concrete set of criteria on which to base a decision. Instead, it was a matter of opinion, which was largely controlled by the namesake of the act, Anthony Comstock.

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