Censorship

Americans enjoy many fundamental rights and freedoms that are protected by the Constitution. However, what are the ramifications when censorship occurs, and from where does the perceived need for censorship arise in the first place?

Censorship can occur in all levels of society, no matter how free and democratic they may be, from schools banning certain books, to movies and music being regulated and age-restricted, to outspoken advocates of various causes being stifled in promoting their views.

Censorship is not a cut-and-dry issue – there are many sides at play in any instance of censorship, from those who seek to prevent certain content from being accessed, to those who seek to promulgate that information and even subvert attempts at censorship.

These volumes present sixty-five primary source and historical documents including book excerpts, court opinions, debates, and interview letters, to name a few. Defining Documents in American History: Censorship explores historical examples of censorship in the United States, from the banning of James Joyce's "Ulysses" due to concerns about obscenity, to Hollywood’s creation of the Hays Code to regulate sensitive topics such as sex and violence in movies, to repeated challenges over controversial books such as The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird in schools. It also touches on The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) creating the parental advisory label in 1987 to warn consumers of explicit content in music, and other modern examples of censorship in the media as the landscape shifts away from traditional means of conveying information.

The material is organized into seven sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents. The seven sections include: 

• The Colonial Era and the Early United States (1607–1829)
• Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction Eras (1840–1877)
• Industrialization and Reform (1878–1918)
• Interwar Period and WWII (1919–1945)
• Cold War and Red Scare (1946–1950s)
• Civil Rights, Vietnam, and Culture Wars (1960s–1990s)
• Post-9/11 Security, the Digital Age, Book Bans, and Social Media (2000s–2025)

The documents contained within these sections provide an overview of the history and significance of censorship in American society, exploring the immediate repercussions as well as the long-term effects these events had in reshaping American society. Documents examined include historical accounts, court cases, news articles, and more.

Each Historical Document is supported by a critical essay, written by historians, teachers, and researchers, that includes a Summary Overview, Defining Moment, About the Author, Document Analysis, and Essential Themes. An important feature of each essay is a close reading of the primary source that develops broader themes, such as the author’s rhetorical purpose, social or class position, point of view, and other relevant issues. Each essay also includes a section entitled Bibliography and Additional Reading that provides suggestions for further readings and research.

Appendixes in this book include:

• Chronological List, which arranges all documents by date.
• Web Resources, an annotated list of websites that offer valuable supplemental resources.
• Bibliography lists of helpful articles and books for further study.