Book Burning in the 1930s. Twentieth Century-Fox. 1935. Civil Rights in the United States
Critical Thinking Questions:
 
 
  1. Why do you think the announcer in this video is so emphatic about the obscenity of the books being burned in the New York City Police Department's basement furnace in this newsreel?




  2. Can you think of any works of literature that were once banned in the United States - either from abroad or from American writers and publishers? List them here, along with reasons why they were considered unacceptable for publication and distribution in the U.S.




  3. Choose a side in the debate over the confiscation and destruction of printed material that is labeled by some as "obscene." State and defend your position, with examples.




  4. Why do you think those who were opposed to the publication and distribution of books considered "obscene" favored burning them, usually in large heaps like a bonfire, instead of other methods of destruction?




  5. Large, public book burnings eventually came to an end in the United States. What factors do you think contributed to the end of the practice depicted in the newsreel?
 
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