Larry - The Comstock Apparatus | University of Wyoming

University:
University of Wyoming
Course:
HIST 4990 | History of Sexuality
Academic year:

2023
Views:

419

Pages:

2
Author:

Allison B.

*** I’m not done yet hehe sorry I only got a couple pages in. *** The Comstock Apparatus - Jeffrey Escoffier, Whitney Strub, and Jeffrey Patrick Colgan ● Between 1873 and 1957, sexual discourse and bahavior in the US was regulated by the political and legal framework established by the federal “Comstock Act” of 1873. ● This law stated that “No obscene, lewd, or lascivious book, pamphlet, picture, paper, print or other publications of an indecent character, or any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring of abortion, nor any article or thing intended or adapted for indecent or immoral use or nature, nor any written or printed card, circular, book, pamphlet, advertisement or notice of any kind giving information, directly or indirectly, where, or how, or of whom, or by what means either of the things before mentioned may be obtained or made, nor any letter upon the envelope of which, or postalcard upon which indecent or scurrilous epithets may be written or printed, shall be carried in the mail…” ● Beginning in 1850s, publishers of pornogrpahy would avoid local persecution by distributing pornography through the mail ● In the Civil War, Union soldiers would receive “fancy” novels and images and this horrified Anthony Comstock when he served in the army. This resulted in 1865 it was illegal to distribute obscenity, but the Post Office couldn’t open sealed envelopes so this was up to recipients to complain to local authorities ● President Grant was unwilling to sign the bill unless he was assured that Comstock himself would be enforcing it, this made him become an unpaid employee of the PO, but he was still able to make arrests (a huge power for an average citizen) ● Once Comstock was in charge, obscenity was vague but it included: sexually explicit matierals, nudity and “racy” writing, photographs, and drawings; description of sexual physiology, contraception, and/or the termination of pregnancy; as well as political discussions of free love, the legal status of marriage, and psychological or spiritual advice relateing to marital sexuality ● This law was the first step in the creation of a federal regulatory framework to enforce Christian sexual morality!!! ● Comstock bragged that over the course of his career as a “vice crusader,” he had arrested 4,000 people, driven 15 people to suicide, destroyed more than four million pictures, and seized fifteen tons of books and 142 tons of printing-press plates ●