Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger
Corning, New York
November 13, 1921
To legalize and inform women of safe contraceptives in America.
My mother died at the age of 50 due to the strain of 18 pregnancies, consisting of 11 births and 7 miscarriages. I was the sixth out of those 11 children. In 1900, I began training as a nurse; I wanted to aid pregnant women. Since then, I’ve seen many poor young mothers become extremely ill and die of the strain from frequent pregnancies. During a house visit, I met a 28 year old mother of 3 with another child on the way, who died of self induced abortion. I remember seeing her body, I remember earlier visits, and I remember how desperate she was to get out of her situation. After witnessing these terrible tragedies I quit nursing in 1902 and devoted my life to helping women before they were driven to dangerous and extreme measures. I then got the idea of a “magic pill” that women could take to help prevent pregnancy.
1900 - 1902 Earned a degree as a registered nurse and married architect William Sanger
1912 - 1966 Became a member of both the Women’s Committee and the Marxist Committee of the New York Socialist Party
1912 Began writing women’s-rights column for the New York Call entitled, “What Every Girl Should Know.” In addition, she wrote and distributed a pamphlet titled Family Limitation, which provided details about contraception methods and devices.
1913 Began writing an eight-page monthly feminist-socialist newsletter called The Woman Rebel, which often promoted contraceptive use and sex education.
1914 The Woman Rebel was distributed through the mail, and once again Sanger came under fire for violation of the Comstock Law. She was indicted on criminal charges but quickly fled to England.
1917 Sanger founded the Birth Control Review, a publication favoring contraception as a means of limiting society's birth rate.
1921 Created the American Birth Control League, which eventually would evolve into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America,
Corning, New York
November 13, 1921
To legalize and inform women of safe contraceptives in America.
My mother died at the age of 50 due to the strain of 18 pregnancies, consisting of 11 births and 7 miscarriages. I was the sixth out of those 11 children. In 1900, I began training as a nurse; I wanted to aid pregnant women. Since then, I’ve seen many poor young mothers become extremely ill and die of the strain from frequent pregnancies. During a house visit, I met a 28 year old mother of 3 with another child on the way, who died of self induced abortion. I remember seeing her body, I remember earlier visits, and I remember how desperate she was to get out of her situation. After witnessing these terrible tragedies I quit nursing in 1902 and devoted my life to helping women before they were driven to dangerous and extreme measures. I then got the idea of a “magic pill” that women could take to help prevent pregnancy.
1900 - 1902 Earned a degree as a registered nurse and married architect William Sanger
1912 - 1966 Became a member of both the Women’s Committee and the Marxist Committee of the New York Socialist Party
1912 Began writing women’s-rights column for the New York Call entitled, “What Every Girl Should Know.” In addition, she wrote and distributed a pamphlet titled Family Limitation, which provided details about contraception methods and devices.
1913 Began writing an eight-page monthly feminist-socialist newsletter called The Woman Rebel, which often promoted contraceptive use and sex education.
1914 The Woman Rebel was distributed through the mail, and once again Sanger came under fire for violation of the Comstock Law. She was indicted on criminal charges but quickly fled to England.
1917 Sanger founded the Birth Control Review, a publication favoring contraception as a means of limiting society's birth rate.
1921 Created the American Birth Control League, which eventually would evolve into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America,