Research Guides: Banned Books: The Banned Book Collection in Morris

A Few Banned Books in Morris Library

The Ralph E. McCoy Collection of the Freedom of the Press, housed in the Special Collections Research Center, offers the opportunity to explore issues of censorship and freedom of expression from a historical perspective. It is one of the world's best collections of rare books highlighting the history of First Amendment freedoms. It includes examples of many books that have been banned in the United States and Europe over the centuries.

Areopagitica by John Milton
Call Number: V. MC. PR3570 .A7 1644
Shortly after the invention of printing, the British Monarchy issued a law that nothing could be printed without Royal permission, or license. This book, which was defiantly printed without license, is an eloquent argument for freedom of the press.
Histrio-mastix: the players scourge, or, Actors tragaedie by William Prynne
Call Number: MC. PR3646 .H5 1633
This book, written by a Puritan, is a critical attack on the English Renaissance theatre, first published in 1632. The book refers to actresses as "whores," and this was considered treasonous, as Queen Henrietta Marie occasionally acted in court plays. The author was arrested, pilloried, and mutilated for treason, and copies of the book were burned by the Executioner.
Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
Call Number: MC. JC177 .C118 1791
Thomas Paine defended the French Revolution in this book, arguing that revolution is just when a government does not fulfill its responsibilities to its people. After its publication, Paine fled England, where he was tried and convicted in absentia for seditious libel.
A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft
Call Number: MC. HQ1596 .W6 1891
Although this work of feminist philosophy, which argues that women should be educated, was initially received and reviewed favorably, it was suppressed for decades after public revelations about the author's unorthodox lifestyle, including her illegitimate child.
King Lear by William Shakespeare
Call Number: V. Oversize EP. PR2751 .A4 1685
King Lear was banned in England from 1788 to 1820, out of respect for King George III, who was, like King Lear, insane.
My Fight for Birth Control by Margaret Sanger
Call Number: MC. HQ766 .S328 1931
This memoir details Sanger's experiences in attempting to provide contraceptives to married women who wished to limit pregnancies. Sanger's pamphlets promoting birth control had already been banned, and Sanger was arrested for distributing contraceptives. The memoir was also banned in Ireland and in many American and British libraries.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Call Number: HCLC F C3195a 191-
This book was banned in China because it contained talking animals. Chinese officials alleged that it was improper to place animals on the same level as humans.
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin
Call Number: OCL0847
It was illegal to teach the theories presented in this book in US schools until 1963.
Ulysses by James Joyce
Call Number: V. PR6019.O9 U4 1922
Joyce could not find an American or British publisher willing to print Ulysses, due to concerns about language and explicit sexuality. In 1922, a French publisher printed 1,000 copies. More than half were burned by British, Irish, and American Customs officials.
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
Call Number: MC. PQ4272.E5 A36 1800z
The Decameron was banned and burned in 15th century Florence by Savanarola, and was prohibited by the Catholic Church in 1559. It has also been banned by many countries in the 20th century. The ban was lifted in the United States in 1931.
The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption by William Pynchon
Call Number: MC. BT779 .P9 1931
This was the first book to be publicly burned in the current United States. It was published in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1650. Though Pynchon was a Puritan, the doctrine espoused by this book differed with accepted theology in the Colony, so the book was burned by the common executioner.
Candide by Voltaire
Call Number: q. 20th1704266
Candide has been banned for obscenity throughout the Western world. It was suppressed in the Soviet Union, along with almost all other books by philosophers. All of Voltaire's books were regularly burned in 18th century Europe.
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Call Number: V. PS3201 1855
This book was banned in 19th century British and American libraries for the use of obscene words.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Call Number: MC. PR9499.3.R8 S28 1988
This novel was banned immediately after publication in many Islamic countries. There were also attacks on many of the book's publishers and translators, and Salman Rushdie was forced to live in hiding for years after its publication.
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
Call Number: MC. PR6015.A33 W4 1928
This novel describes the isolation and shame felt by its main character, a lesbian who is able to find love, but never feels comfortable in society. It was suppressed in the US and England immediately after publication.

Books

Banned books, 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D. by Anne Lyon Haight
Call Number: Z1019 .H15 1978
This annotated bibliography lists books banned from the 4th through the 20th centuries, and gives the reasons for their suppression.
A universal history of the destruction of books by Fernando Báez
Call Number: Z659 .B3413 2008x
This history covers the reasons for the destruction of books throughout history.
Freedom of the press; an annotated bibliography by Ralph E. McCoy
Call Number: Z657 .M3
This extensive bibliography, which has been supplemented several times since its initial publication, describes more than 10,000 books that are about censorship or that have been censored.
Censorship: A world encyclopedia
Call Number: Z657 .C393 2001x
This encyclopedia provides broad coverage of the history of censorship throughout the world.
Banned Books (series)
This four volume series lists books suppressed on political, religious, social, and sexual grounds.

Websites

The links below lead to web resources on the history of book banning, the texts of banned books, and contemporary censorship issues.

American Library Association: Banned and Challenged Books
The American Library Association creates annual lists of the most frequently challenged books in the United States. They are also one of the primary sponsors of the annual Banned Books Week.
Banned Books Online
This site provides information about a wide variety of banned books, and gives links to online versions of their texts. It also summarizes other information suppression issues, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Beacon for Freedom of Expression
The Beacon for Freedom project maintains an extensive database of censored publications and publications about censorship.
Explore Banned Books
This Google page provides access to full or partial texts of 42 20th century novels that have been challenged.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
The EFF is a civil liberties advocacy group concerned with first amendment freedoms in the digital environment. They are strongly biased on issues such as copyright and proprietary control of information, but their website is very informative.

About Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is celebrated annually, with sponsorship from the American Library Association (ALA), the National Association of College Stores, and many other organizations. According to the ALA, "Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." You can learn more about Banned Books Week here.

Images of Banned Books

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.