Early Life...

When Margaret Sanger was growing up in the 1880's, she saw her mom go through situations that bothered her to the extent. She was born in Corning, New York where she was the 6th of 11 children. Her mother, Anne Higgins went through 18 pregnancies with 11 live births. The other 7 being miscarriages. After having so many pregnancies her mother got cervical cancer and tuberculosis and died on March 31, 1896. Because of her mothers illness before that, Margaret spent her teen life raising and taking care of her siblings. Her father wasn't around much, but he was also a part of women's suffrage.

Sanger attended Claverack College, and her sisters paid for her tuition. She also was enrolled at a nursing program and married her husband, William Sanger. A little while after that, she was also diagnosed with tuberculosis and moved to Saranac, NY because of health reasons. In 1903 she had her first child. In 1912, Sanger's house burnt down and her and her family moved to Manhattan. Right after that, she started a column in the New York Times called "What Every Girl Should Know". She was sent to jail numerous times because of actions like that one.

Margaret Sanger's whole theory was that woman should be able to decide when a pregnancy is best for them. That is why birth control was highly in her favor. That way, woman can enjoy sexual relations without the fear of getting pregnant when they are not ready. There's a point in your life where you are ready for pregnancy, and woman who just weren't ready yet had huge issues.

She moved to New York in 1910, and worked with woman who were frequently pregnant and having serious health issues because self induced abortions. They did that because they couldn't get abortions, or couldn't prevent themselves from getting pregnant without NOT having sex. She experienced a major eye opener when she was called to her friends apartment, not only to have found her friend dead because of self induced abortions and all the bad consequences that come along with that.

How did she affect American History at the time and now?

Margaret Sanger took a step out of the typical American woman's box. She went through a childhood that made her see that things could be better than what she and her mother also went through. Her mother’s death made her feel unsatisfied with woman's roles in society. She saw that there was a better way of handling pregnancy, sex, and abortions. Birth control was not a thing she saw just for woman to go have sex whenever they want to for fun, but a way to prevent self induced abortions and the health issues with that.

In her book "What Ever Girl Should Know", Sanger said, ”Every normal man and woman has the power to control and direct his sexual impulse. Men and woman who have it in control and constantly use their brain cells thinking deeply, are never sensual."

Birth control went against most religious views, which got people worked up about her beliefs. People saw this woman getting arrested and imprisoned over and over. It made people wonder about what was going on at the time. It made them think about the whole idea of birth control and its advantages and disadvantages.

If it hadn’t been for Margaret Sanger standing up for what she believed so strongly and sternly, birth control might have never come across the world. We would still have woman waiting outside in lines for 5-dollar abortions.

Sanger’s goal was brought to attention immediately with the Comstock Act of 1973, which stated that "obscene, lewd and lascivious" publications were outlawed and it outlawed birth control by the mail. This controversy came from her magazine Woman Rebel.

Back then, this really affected woman a lot. It made them start to think that they could possibly, just possibly be given some help and support in life. Women’s Rights were starting to have a lot more wide variety in this time, and Margaret Sanger really contributed to it.

 

 

How did she reflect on woman?

Margaret Sanger was imprisoned 8 times, looked down upon by many, targeted by people for her belief, and fought as hard as she could. After all of that, I would say she was pretty successful. After spending almost her whole life promoting birth control and coming up with ways to make woman more respected, she got a lot out of it.

          There are not clinics everywhere around, where woman can get all different types of birth control. It helps woman who aren’t ready to have children actually enjoy life and not have that fear all the time. Margaret Sanger was truly a realistic, determined woman. She published many books and magazines and got her words out in so many ways. She showed people that woman deserve to be healthy, happy, and READY for children.

          When she moved to Arizona, she continued fighting for birth control and she held a worldwide campaign for family planning and helped form the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Her work has saved the lives of many women and most definitely improved the lives of woman everywhere.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5084/.