Comstock Act of 1873: Outlawing Abortifacient Ads

Anthony Comstock was a pro-morality activist in the 1860s. This cartoon depicts his anti-obscenity crusade which evolved into a legislative victory on March 3, 1873 when Congress passed the Comstock Act. The statute defined contraceptives as obscene and illicit, making it a federal offense to disseminate birth control through the mail or across state lines.

The Comstock Law of 1873 was a federal law that made it a crime to sell or distribute materials that could be used for contraception or abortion, to send such materials or information about such materials through the federal mail system, or to import such materials from abroad. It was motivated by growing societal concerns over obsenity, abortion, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, the institution of marriage, the changing role of women in society, and increased procreation by the "lower classes."

Following the Civil War, many Americans yearned for a nationwide spiritual and moral revival.