JAMES MANN’S COPIES RELATING TO “THE MANN ACT”
[WHITE SLAVE TRADE]. MANN, James Robert (1856-1922), his copy. Memorandum in re White Slave Trade. A sammelband with typescript signed (“James Mann”), letters, pamphlets, and a slip bill regarding the Mann Act. [Washington, D.C., 1909]. Small 4to (260 x 203 mm). 39pp. typescript, numerous annotations by Mann, signed several times by Mann; bound with 6 pamphlets including the published version of this Act; two slip bills; and a typed letter signed (“Edwin W. Sims”), U.S. District Attorney, 14 December 1909, to Mann regarding his edits to the bill. (Upper cover detached, lacking lower cover, spine perished, two pamphlets at ends nearly detached). JAMES MANN’S TYPESCRIPT COPY OF THE MANN ACT. The Mann Act, officially known as the White Slave Traffic Act, was a landmark piece of legislation during the Progressive Era, enacted in 1910 and named after its sponsor, Congressman James Robert Mann of Illinois. Initially intended to combat forced prostitution and the trafficking of women across state lines, the Mann Act had a broad and vaguely worded language that led to its misuse. While aiming to address concerns about the perceived moral decline associated with urbanization, immigration, and changing gender roles during the early 20th century, the law inadvertently criminalized various consensual sexual activities. The context of the “white slavery” hysteria of that era, fueled by anxieties over societal transformations brought about by the Industrial Revolution, played a crucial role in the Mann Act’s creation. The act emerged from moral purity movements concerned with the challenges faced by young, single women who moved to cities for work. The legislation was a response to the perceived vulnerability of women to what was deemed immoral behavior due to the breakdown of traditional family-centered courtship systems. Over time, the Mann Act became a tool for political persecution and blackmail, notably targeting individuals like Jack Johnson. Although the Mann Act has never been fully repealed, it has undergone significant amendments to address its overly broad scope. Congress updated the act in 1978, refining the definition of “transportation” and adding protections for minors of both sexes against commercial sexual exploitation. In 1986, further amendments enhanced safeguards for minors and adult males while replacing vague terms like “debauchery” with a more specific focus on criminal offenses related to sexual activities.