Comstock Law enacted

Background. The Comstock Act of 1873 is a series of federal provisions that criminalize the conveying of obscene matter through the post office or common carriers. Its initial provision was enacted beginning in 1872 with the attachment of a rider to the Post Office Consolidation Act of 1872. The widespread availability of pornography during the American Civil War (1861–1865) gave rise to an anti-pornography movement, which culminated in the passage of the Comstock Act in 1873; that movement also dealt with birth control and abortion issues.

Legislative Process. Anthony Comstock utilized personal connections to introduce the bill in the Senate in February 1873. After committee reports and amendments, the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on February 21, 1873. It subsequently passed the House of Representatives without objection on March 1, 1873, leading to its final enactment on March 3, 1873.

Advocacy and Motivation. To remedy perceived problems, Comstock worked on a new stand-alone piece of legislation, which passed in 1873. Advocates such as Merrian campaigned for its passage through the House of Representatives, arguing that obscenity threatened masculinity and that protecting it required outlawing the mailing of obscene materials. At an unspecified later time, Comstock secured a position as a United States Postal Inspector.