User:Oughtta Be Otters/sandbox/Book censorship in the united states: Difference between revisions
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[[Book censorship]], or the removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational books on the grounds that they are morally or otherwise objectionable, first appeared, in what is now known as the United States, in 1624 in modern-day Quincy, Massachusetts.<ref>Reichman, Henry (1993). [[iarchive:censorshipselect00henr|''Censorship and Selection: Issues and Answers for Schools. Revised''.]] Chicago: ALA Books. [[ISBN (identifier)|ISBN]] [[Special:BookSources/978-0-8389-0798-6|<bdi>978-0-8389-0798-6</bdi>]].</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitacre |first=Lindsay |title=Research Guides: Banned Books: History of Book Banning |url=https://guides.library.harvard.edu/c.php?g=1269000&p=9306840 |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=guides.library.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref> While specific titles caused bouts of book censorship, with ''Uncle Tom’s Cabin'' frequently cited as the first book subject to a national ban, censorship of reading materials and their distribution remained sporadic until the Comstock Laws in 1873.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blakemore |first=Erin |date=2023-04-24 |title=The history of book bans—and their changing targets—in the U.S. |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/history-of-book-bans-in-the-united-states |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=National Geographic |language=en}}</ref> It was in the early 20th century that book censorship became a more common practice and source of public debate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brady |first=Amy |date=2016-09-22 |title=The History (and Present) of Banning Books in America |url=https://lithub.com/the-history-and-present-of-banning-books-in-america/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref> Throughout the 20th and early 21st century there have been waves of attempts at widespread book censorship in the United States. Since 2022, the country has seen a dramatic increase of attempted and successful censorship, with a 63% rise in reported cases between 2022 and 2023, including a substantial rise in challenges filed to hundreds of books at a time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Italie |first=Hillel |title=New censorship report finds that over 4,000 books were targeted in US libraries in 2023 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2024/03/14/american-library-association-2023-report-book-censorship/72975557007/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Tovia |date=2024-03-14 |title=American Library Association report says book challenges soared in 2023 |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/03/14/1238678902/book-bans-libraries-american-library-association-schools |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=National Public Radio}}</ref>
In the [[debate over book censorship in the United States]], “freedom to read” proponents cite traditions and legal precedent building upon the Constitution of the United States, particularly the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=American Library Association |date=2008-06-13 |title=First Amendment and Censorship |url=https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorship |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=American Library Association |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-20 |title=The Freedom to Read {{!}} ACLU of Oregon |url=https://www.aclu-or.org/en/freedom-read |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=www.aclu-or.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Twitter |last2=Instagram |last3=Email |date=2024-01-11 |title=From Iowa to Florida, national lawsuits against local book bans begin to gain traction |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2024-01-11/from-iowa-to-florida-lawsuits-against-book-bans-begin-to-gain-traction |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Much of the justification for censorship centers on definitions of obscenity and questions about the perceived moral qualities of various books’ content.
Today, the target of book censorship may be either a print, electronic, or audiobook, or a curriculum that includes such sources. Targeted texts may be held by a business such as a bookstore; a library, either a public library or one located in a school or university; or the school or university as a whole. The entity requesting censorship may be an organization, private individual, or government official.
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