The Real Reason Books Get Banned: A 2,000-Year History of Power vs. Truth
Photo by Elevae Visuals
Former director of the National Library of Argentina, Alberto Manguel once said, "An illiterate crowd is the easiest to rule." If you can't stop people from learning to read, you must limit what they can access. This principle has driven book banning for over 2,000 years, from Emperor Qin Shi Huang burying scholars alive in 259 BC to the 16,000 book bans documented in American schools since 2021. The tactics change, but the motivation remains the same: control the narrative, control the people. Understanding this history isn't just academic—it's essential for recognizing when democracy itself is under threat.
The Ancient Roots: When Emperors Feared Ideas
Book banning began with Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who buried alive 460 Confucian scholars and burned every book in his kingdom except single copies for the royal library (which were destroyed before his death). His goal was simple: if no evidence of history existed before him, he could claim that history started with his reign. This set a precedent that would echo through millennia.
Roman Emperor Caligula banned Homer's Odyssey for expressing "dangerous" Greek ideas of freedom. The Catholic Church created the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in 1559, a definitive list of banned books that remained in effect for over 400 years. William Tyndale was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536 for translating the Bible into English—church authorities insisted only they could read and interpret scripture. Each instance reveals the same pattern: those in power fear ideas that might challenge their authority.
The American Evolution: From Protection to Persecution
In America, book banning evolved from religious control to political suppression. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published in 1852, became the first American work of fiction to achieve international bestseller status while exploring the cruelties of slavery. It was widely banned throughout the American South for being "abolitionist propaganda"—a clear example of how challenging the status quo has always been met with censorship. The 1873 Comstock Act made it illegal to possess or distribute "obscene" materials, leading to 3,500 prosecutions between 1874 and 1915.
During the 1950s Red Scare, even Robin Hood was targeted for promoting communist ideals by "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor." The pattern accelerated after 2021, with PEN America documenting nearly 16,000 book bans in public schools nationwide. The Washington Post revealed that just 11 people filed 100 book challenges across different districts, primarily targeting works by LGBTQ+ and non-white authors (20-30% more likely to be targeted). This isn't grassroots parenting—it's coordinated censorship using Emily Knox's four classifications: redaction (crossing out words), relocation (moving to different sections), restriction (requiring permission), and removal (complete elimination from collections).
The Modern Threat: Libraries Under Siege
Today's book banning efforts target the institutions that have historically served as democracy's defense against ignorance: libraries and schools. Dr. Carla Hayden, the first Black and female Librarian of Congress, was fired in 2025 for alleged "DEI efforts"—really for maintaining the library's mission of universal access to information.
The Library of Congress serves as the research arm of Congress and has existed in its current iteration since the War of 1812, when the British burned down Washington DC. Thomas Jefferson then sold books from his personal collection to rebuild the library, including the Quran and the Hebrew Bible—reflecting his commitment to universal education and freedom of religion. Today, the Library of Congress maintains one copy of every single book, song, and movie published, and requires visitors to be 16 or older to conduct research. This isn't a children's library where Dr. Hayden was "personally curating" inappropriate content for kids—it's a comprehensive research institution.
As she noted in her PBS interview, "Libraries are in so many communities, rural, urban. Anywhere you find a library, they're trusted sources." States are criminalizing librarians for providing materials deemed "inappropriate," essentially making it illegal for trained professionals to do their jobs. This attack on libraries represents a crucial step in the authoritarian playbook: politicize independent institutions before moving to outright censorship. The seven steps identified by Protect Democracy include spreading disinformation, quashing dissent, and targeting marginalized communities—all tactics we're witnessing today.
Fighting Back: Democracy Requires Participation
The good news? We're not powerless. History shows that ideas are stronger than those who try to suppress them. Support your local library by checking out books (especially banned ones), donate to PBS and NPR for independent journalism (funding was just $1.60 per year per person), use 5Calls to contact representatives about censorship legislation, and visit Protect Democracy for comprehensive action steps. As someone who believes deeply in the power of stories to create empathy and understanding, I know that exposure to different perspectives makes us more human, not less. The goal isn't to agree with everything you read—it's to preserve the right for everyone to access information and make their own informed decisions.
Conclusion: The Most Patriotic Act
Questioning authority isn't unpatriotic—it's the foundation of democracy. The First Amendment protects our right to free speech, press, and assembly precisely because the framers understood that controlling information leads to controlling people. When we allow fear to drive censorship, we're not protecting anyone; we're abandoning the principles that make America worth defending. Every generation must choose whether to preserve these freedoms or surrender them to those who promise safety in exchange for silence. The choice is ours, and it starts with something as simple as reading a book.
