Gendering the Nation Online Museum Exhibit
Created by the class of HIST 465 (Topics in Women's History) 2015-16
Queens University, Canada
The Legacy of Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger, born in 1879, was a woman who revolutionized birth control for women. Her cause started to prevail after her own losses and struggles in life inspired her to help others with the same issues. Sanger bore three children after her marriage in 1902, and during her pregnancies, she dealt with a tubular infection. Each pregnancy put Sanger at a larger risk of fatality. Margaret Sanger also lost her youngest child in 1915 to pneumonia, which added to her grief. During her experiences, Sanger understood the heartache of unwanted pregnancies, and how marriage could be weakened from this fear. Her loss also motivated Margret to implement societal solutions that would prevent a mother from losing her child because of parental inadequacy and lack of medical resources. Although her focus began by helping women of the working class, her cause expanded to help all women, as her successes became well known. Margaret published books and pamphlets, which focused on reproductive health. Her first forum, published in 1912, was called, “What Every Women Should Know”. This piece focused on how reproductive organs functioned and in which ways women could control them. Throughout the early 20th century, Margaret spoke at many interventions and eventually opened up her first birth control clinic in 1916. Margaret Sanger did not go through her birth control journey without obstacles however, as the state, the church and the medical communities were not supportive of her cause. Margret Sanger’s outlook on attainable contraceptives was well ahead of her time; as societal acceptance and understanding of birth control was not prominent until the late 1900’s.The founder of birth control, resulting in women’s reproduction freedom became Sanger’s legacy.
"A woman's duty: to speak and act in defiance of convention"
Esther Katz. The Margaret Sanger Project: The Women Rebel. New York: University of Illinois Press. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/project/index.php
The “Women Rebel” was a forum, which was first published in 1914 by Margaret Sanger. In this issue, which was published in April of 1914, Sanger told the story of a young mother who was distraught about her fourth pregnancy, She tries to get help to terminate the baby and to also prevent future pregnancies, but the nurse cannot help. It was against the law to prescribe such advice or prescriptions. The next day, the nurse hears of the women’s body, “gently washed up to the shores”. With this information, the nurse proclaims that, “men’s law is bitter cruelty”. The state eventually charged the “Women Rebel” with publication of lewd and indecent articles. In 1911, the public sphere was off limits as a space where people could talk about Birth Control. By the 20th century, Sangers’ story telling helped bridge the tension as the “Women rebel” conversation of birth control, not only entered the public sphere but the law courts.
Margaret Sanger was sent many letters after the start of her opened birth control clinic in Brooklyn, 1916. Margaret Sanger incorporated letters she received, using them as evidence within her public speeches and testimony’s. The woman who wrote this letter was 32 years old, and was the wife of an oil company worker who in 1930, had seven children under the age of 10. This letter is important as this woman mentions how her husband is unable to help provide for her and their children. Since she and women in general could not control pregnancies, women had to rely on men to be the breadwinners. This resulted in a major lack of attainable freedom. It is in this letter that we see major hardship, with a life dedicated to trying to survive blindly. The desperation in this letter encompasses the population of working class women.
Esther Katz. The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger: Volume 2, 1928-1939. Chicago: University of Illinois Press,pg148.
This is a letter that Margaret Sanger wrote to one of her clients in 1933. This letter proves that Sanger’s advice did not only revolve around contraceptive use, she also focused on creating healthy marriages and a satisfying sex life for women. The woman Margaret Sanger writes to is evidently having trouble reaching orgasm. Sanger provides sympathy and compassion for this woman, helping her to understand that this is not an individual issue but a general one among women. The book Margaret likely assigned to this woman is her published piece called, “Happiness in Marriage”. In this specific book, Margaret states that, “it is imperative that the woman should release her own deep impulses, and give them full and unashamed expression”. Future and past correspondences between this women and Margaret were destroyed, causing it to be unknown if this book was factually prescribed.
Esther Katz. The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger: Volume 2, 1928-1939. Chicago: University of Illinois Press,pg 248.
From 1910 to 1930, 600 women per 100,000 births proved to be fatal. Women, in the early nineteenth century had no means to end unwanted pregnancy. Harmful tactics were implemented into women’s birth control knowledge because of this dilemma; resulting in more deaths caused by homemade contraceptives. Popular contraceptives that women began using included douching. In the early 1900’s, douching with Lysol became a well-known tactic that was supposed to clean the vaginal area after sexual intercourse to stop fertilization of the egg. This tactic was promoted for its sensitive and safe use for females, however by 1911, doctors recorded 199 deaths from Lysol poisoning. Vaginal suppositories were another well-known use of contraception. Women would insert jellies, fruit acids and even cocoa butter into their vagina’s to take advantage of its alkaline bases. Alkaline and sharp acid’s were known to be hostile towards sperm, however, this method was neither safe nor effective. The withdrawal method seemed to work the most effectively, but there was another aspect to this tactic that became quite negative. The withdrawal method involves the man taking his penis out of the vagina before ejaculation. This method lacked the satisfying sexual pleasure between two people that is needed for a healthy and satisfying relationship. As Margaret Sanger became enveloped in motherhood, the contraceptive issues that everyday women had to face became evident.
Margaret Sanger had a history of being banned in Boston because of her advocacy. In 1929, the mayors of Boston were James Curley and Malcolm Nichols. Both men had prohibited speeches about birth control within the city. The Ford Hall forum was an organization that sponsored public lectures, and Sanger was invited to appear as a guest to the “banquet for undesirables”. Sanger agreed beforehand that she would enter the building with a gag on her mouth, while historian, Arthur Schlesinger read her speech. It was after this speech, that the nation and the audience realized just how powerful and unstoppable her cause was. Sanger’s arrests, backlash and controversy caused her name to be well known throughout society, ironically developing her cause
Esther Katz. The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger: Volume 2, 1928-1939. Chicago: University of Illinois Press,pg 15.
This is a picture of Margaret Sanger’s daughter, Peggy, in the summer of 1913. She was the youngest of Margaret’s three children. Shortly after this photo was taken and while the Sanger family was on vacation, Peggy contracted Polio. Although she survived the illness, one of her legs became weaker and shorter than the other. In 1915, Peggy came down with pneumonia resulting in her death On November 6t of that year. This tragic event caused Margaret to experience the loss of a child because of the lack of medical resources; which mothers across the nation had also been experiencing. This loss triggered Margaret’s motivation to remain persistent with her birth control cause. Jean Baker. Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion. New York: Hill and Wang, pg122.
This is a flyer made to advertise Margaret Sanger’s birth control clinic in Brownsville, Brooklyn 1916. It was printed in English, Yiddish and Italian to help women from all cultural groups receive help throughout the country. Margaret clearly announces in this flyer that she does not want to abort upcoming children, but prevent them, acknowledging that there is a difference. This flyer became the groundwork for publicizing and advertising birth control, making this resolution become prominent in society.
Esther Katz. The Margaret Sanger Project: The Women Rebel. New York:University of Illinois Press. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/project/index.php
Before Margaret Sanger was deemed as a revolutionary Birth Control advocate, there were societal contraceptive issues that needed to be altered. The Comstalk law was passed in the early 20th century, prohibiting information on contraception from public domain. This law made any type of contraceptive to be illicit, making it a federal offense to disseminate birth control through the mail or across the state lines. In fourteen states across America, the verbal transition of information about birth control was prohibited and 11 states made possession of instructions for the prevention of pregnancy a federal offence. Finally, in 4 states, the authorization of searches for contraceptives was allowed. The Comstalk law carried an enormous amount of power, and since it was presented when Sanger was very young, it was not easy for a citizen, especially a woman, to try and reverse these notions.
The next societal obstacle was the medical community. Although citizens within the medical profession possessed important information about reproductive health, many doctors refrained from sharing this information in fear that they would be fired. Being a doctor is and was a well-respected position in society, and doctors needed to strictly adhere to public morality. What this tells us modernly is that doctors at that time were more focused on obeying social order then they were with the practical needs of the patient.
Finally, the church was the last negative societal issue towards birth control. The Christian faith states that sex without the purpose of procreation is sinful. In Jewish and Christian beliefs, the book of genesis states that men and women have a duty to produce heirs. It was not until 1951, in which the Vatican passed the rhythm method as the only appropriate form of birth control. This was because it was a natural contraceptive, an effect in which the body could not control.
Margaret Sanger revolutionized birth control because she was able to pass on information, open a clinic and truly understand that women, regardless of their class in society, needed full access to contraceptive methods to result in their greater well being. She understood and acted upon this while the three dominant and powerful forces in society did not support her. In 1936, the “one package decision” determined that birth control should not be illicit and gave permission for doctors to prescribe birth control at their own discretion. It was not until 30 years later that the U.S Supreme court allowed all married couples the right to contraceptives.
In the early 1900’s, Margaret worked as a obstetrician nurse in the lower east side, of the New York area. Here, she was able to understand further the hardships that especially lower class women had to face regarding ongoing, uncontrollable pregnancies. Sanger also saw many women who did not have any information on infant care and who lived in unsanitary conditions that were not meant for a growing family. It was during her time as a nurse that Sanger built on her inspiration to become a voice for women’s need for birth control. She used her research and collective knowledge to begin to write published articles and forums. Sanger published ten works that focused on reproductive health, contraceptive usage and women’s relationship with her partner. In Margaret Sanger’s own words: “birth control is in the regulation of propagation, in the scientific liberation of the feminine spirit”.
Margaret Sanger. Family Limitation. Sixth Edition: New York, 1914. Pg 8.
This is a photo of a feminine douche, found in Margaret’s Sangers’, Family Limitation. Sanger discusses this product, stating that it should be used after intercourse, to clean the vaginal walls. She advises her clients to fill the douche with water and Lysol, as it will help with thoroughly disinfecting the vaginal area. Presently, one knows this information is faulty as a douche is not always healthy for a women’s hygiene. The importance of this depiction is not the specific information that Margaret Sanger provides; it is the breakthrough of contraceptive advice becoming available to the public. Family Limitation was published in 1914, making this one of Sangers’ first published pieces with included diagrams.
This is a powerful image that was shown in The Birth Control Review, published in 1918 By Margaret Sanger. Margaret Sanger’s cause was to develop and promote birth control to every woman suffering from unwanted pregnancies, regardless of class. Before Sanger’s success, doctors were not liable to prescribe birth control. The upper class women however, would use their money to their advantage and bribe the doctors for birth control information before it was legal. This comic portrays this circumstance. Wealthier individuals had more leeway to obtain what they needed to lead a happier and successful life. The working class, however, not only suffered with poverty, but also suffered from unwanted children they could not properly care for.
Emily Taft Douglas. Margaret Sanger: Pioneer of the Future.Chicago: Winston Press, 1970. pg 116.
This is a cartoon, portrayed in the August 1914 issue of Sanger’s magazine: The Women Rebel. This cartoon depicts a conversation and situation that was relatable and very common for women in the early 20th century. Sanger became well known not only because of her cause, but also because of the way she presented her ideas. Including impactful images rather then strict, medical information in her published pieces, caused for uneducated women to understand her forums easier. This image is depicted with a comical-like tone, depicting how hiding contraceptive information to the public is immensely illogical to a sane person.
Jean Baker. Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion. New York: Hill and Wang, pg117.
This photo shows women waiting outside of the birth control clinic, implemented in October 1916 by Margaret Sanger. This clinic was located in Brooklyn, New York. The many women in this photo indicate the demand for Margaret’s services. Margaret served around 100 women on its first day, and 400 women within the 10 days following. On October 26th,1916 Sanger was arrested and undercover police shut down the clinic. Sanger was released from jail the following morning, and reopened the clinic. This cycle repeated itself once more, until it closed down for the final time in November of 1916. This clinic proves Sanger’s willingness and bravery to break the law because of her passionate beliefs. This clinic became the groundwork for future, doctor staffed birth control clinics that helped all women find effective contraceptive methods, regardless of income.
Jean Baker. Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion. New York: Hill and Wang, pg123.
Page Created by Alyssa
"A free race cannot be born of slave mothers"