The Comstock Act, 1873 | Records of Rights

The Comstock Act made it illegal to sell, publish, or possess an obscene book, pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, circular, print, picture, drawing or other representation, figure, or image on or of paper or other material, or any cast instrument, or other article of an immoral nature, or any drug or medicine, or any article whatever, for the prevention of conception, or for causing unlawful abortion.
Those convicted of these crimes were to be imprisoned at hard labor in the penitentiary for not less than six months nor more than five years for each offense, or fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two thousand dollars, with costs of court.

The Comstock Act 1873

Among other types of publications, the Comstock Act of 1873 classified materials “for the prevention of conception” as obscene and made it illegal to send them through the mail.

National Archives, General Records of the U.S. Government