Anthony Comstock and the Comstock Laws: A JGAPE Forum Preview

Magdalene Zier contributed to a Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era forum on “The History and Legacy of Anthony Comstock and the Comstock Laws.” The forum is forthcoming in the print journal but currently available as a series on the SHGAPE blog. Given current debates on abortion following the Dobbs decision and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which proposes to revive the Comstock Act, the authors hope this forum will provide useful historical context about the Act’s influence on American life. Magdalene co-authored the Forum’s Introduction and wrote a piece on “Robert W. McAfee: The Comstock of Chicago.”