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Margaret sanger the moral necessity of birth control
America in the 1920s
Margaret Sanger fights for birth control
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Biography of Margaret Sanger “No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her own body”. Margaret Sanger stated this quote for the purpose of letting all women know that they should have the choice to make decisions about their own body whenever plausible. She seemed to feel as though, if women can’t obtain control over what they want to do with their body, then they can never truly be free in other manners as well. Sanger is an amazingly determined woman who was able to give all women the chance to gain control and power over their body. Margaret Sanger is an important figure in the 1920s American History because not only did she create and establish the first birth control clinics, but she also gave women the chance to take control over their body. Margaret Sanger was born on September 14, 1879 in Corning, New York. She was the sixth of eleven children to her parents, Michael H. Higgins and Anne P. Higgins. Sanger attended public school through 8th grade, and when she grew older, attended Claverack College …show more content…
Personality wise, she was persuasive, determined, confident, ambitious, risk-taking, and hardworking. Some of those personality traits are those of which I do not possess. However, they are traits that I desire to be able to portray and use in my life. I am, personally, not a very confident or risk-taking type of person so to attempt to apply these two traits to the way that I go about my life, might influence the way that I decide to try and accomplish certain things. I could use the personality trait of being confident for school presentations, or even sports events. Being the type of person who is risk-taking would allow for myself to be daring enough to go for what I desire in life, both academically and athletically. Margaret Sanger is someone to look up to because she wasn’t willing to back down, and stood up for what she believed in as well as what she thought was
Dorothy Wardell’s article titled “Margaret Sanger: Birth Control’s Successful Revolutionary” explains what inspired Sanger ideas on contraception and what problems she faced while working to change the notions and laws on Birth Control. The central argument presented by Wardell is that Sanger’s efforts led to privileges for women’s bodies and health centers providing methods for women to act on these privileges (Wardell, 736). Although Wardell is effective in supporting her argument, it would be stronger if she included some historical context and evidence of Sanger’s opinion in her own words found in a speech of hers and in Family Limitation. Wardell begins by addressing that “…a definitive biography and assessment has yet to be written.”,
On September 14, 1879, Margaret Sanger was born in Corning, New York. She was the sixth child of eleven children and realized early what being part of a large family meant; just making due. Although her family was Roman Catholic both her mother and father were of Irish descent. Her mother, Anne Purcell had a sense of beauty that was expressed through and with flowers. Her father was an Irish born stonemason whose real religion was social radicalism. Her father was a free thinker and strong believer in eugenics which meant Margaret possessed some of the same values. (Sanger, Margaret) Eugenics is the belief that one race is better than a different race just because they are not like them, kind of like Hitler and the holocaust. “He expected me to be grown up at the age of ten.” (Source 4.3 page 30) Coming from a family of eleven children she did have to grow up fast. Faster than most kids should have to. She left her house as a teenager and came back when she needed to study nursing. It was during this time that Margaret worked as a maternity nurse helping in the delivery of babies to immigrant women. She saw illegal abortions, women being overwhelmed by poverty, to many children, and women dying because they had no knowledge of how to prevent one pregnancy after another. This reminded her of the fact that her own mother had eighteen pregnancies, eleven children, and died at the age of forty-nine. Margaret dropped out of school and moved in with her sister. She ended up teaching first grade children and absolutely hated it. She hated children at that time. When Margaret was a child herself however, she would dream about living on the hill where all the wealthy people lived. She would dream of playing tennis and wearing beautiful c...
"A free race cannot be born" and no woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother"(Sanger A 35). Margaret Sanger (1870-1966)said this in one of her many controversial papers. The name of Margaret Sanger and the issue of birth control have virtually become synonymous. Birth control and the work of Sanger have done a great deal to change the role of woman in society, relationships between men and woman, and the family. The development and spread of knowledge of birth control gave women sexual freedom for the first time, gave them an individual identity in society and a chance to work without fearing they were contributing to the moral decline of society by leaving children at home. If birth control and Sanger did so much good to change the role of women in society why was birth control so controversial?
In today’s practice there are several options to consider for contraception. Multiple different birth control pills, intrauterine devices, vaginal rings, implants, and injections are viable options. The development of the first oral contraceptive A male non-hormonal contraceptive polymer is in the process of gaining approval which will empower men to have equal say and responsibility in preventing pregnancies outside of the use of prophylactics. The impact of Margaret Sanger’s activism is reflected outside of birth control measures in today’s medical practice. Sexually transmitted diseases and infections have been a serious problem for a significant amount of time. However, the efforts of Margaret Sanger along with others has impacted how society approaches sexual education and testing. Programs such as Planned Parenthood and the general acceptance of birth control measures have changed the nursing process greatly and in general, the way we live
Margaret Sanger’s monthly publication The Woman Rebel released its first issue in 1914, creating a nationwide dispute concerning the publication and distribution of birth control devices. However, Sanger’s initial goal went beyond simply legalizing the distribution of contraceptives; her aim was to create “radical social change, embracing the liberation of women and of the working class” (6, 1.120). In document one, the essay “Why the Woman Rebel?” Sanger makes a strong political statement on the social implications of legalizing birth control. Drawing heavily from the plight of the working class Sanger makes her case on the grounds that the legalization of birth control is the first step to the liberation of the disenfranchised working class at the hands of capitalism. The essay is a rebellious prose intended to inspire “revolt”, a call to arms for the case for birth control. Later in Sanger’s care...
Margaret Sanger’s first order of business in her attempt to claim women’s rights to sexual freedom was to alter the church’s thoughts and ideals regarding the use of contraception. In 1916, when she began her revolutionary crusade, contraception was not only condemned by the Catholic Church, but by many sects of Christianity. After much effort, the year 1930 brought success to Margaret Sanger and her cohorts. It was at this point that the Church of England accepted the use of contraception in certain circumstances, and only between married couples (Contraception History). This victory by Sanger and her organization, Planned Parenthood, was followed by a wave of acceptance among many denominations for contraceptive use among married couples, and then among single adults. The aftermath of Sanger’s efforts influenced much of the world to changing i...
Margaret Sanger, a feminist and birth control pioneer, was born in Corning New York, the sixth of eleven children and the third of four daughters of Anne Higgins and Michael Higgins, both of Irish descent. Michael Higgins, an atheist and socialist, owned a monument shop and carved statuary for tombstones. Anne Higgins, a devout Catholic, was a strong-willed woman who died at the age of forty-nine of tuberculosis, worn out, in her daughter’s vi...
Being able to deal with any situation. Never fight yourself (Wooden). She shows that she is poised by being herself, which is being a tough, straight-forward, but at the same time, a kind woman. Most of her adult life, she has always been herself and gave great advice to millions of people from the television to the people she meets every day.
As men engaged in war overseas, women gained many opportunities in their every day life. New employment opportunities became attainable to women. In women's health, many new medical practices were conventionalized as well. One of the most pivotal medical advancements of the time was the commercialization of birth control ("Marie Stopes"). However, n...
By 1938 the industries annual sales exceeded $250 million and was one of the most prosperous new businesses of the decade. Four hundred companies competed in the market. (485) Aggressive advertising for contraceptives appeared in many women’s magazines and catalogues. Contraceptive products were easily purchased at department stores, through catalogues and even from door to door saleswomen. Ads falsely claimed that their products were “scientifically proven” and recommended by women physicians who “knew” about women’s fears of pregnancy. In an article by Andrea Tone titled Contraceptive Consumers: Gender and the Political Economy of Birth Control in the 1930s, Tone states, “ Many women, spurred on by public attention to birth control but unable to secure the assistance needed to make informed contraception choices, took contraception- and their lives- into their own hands.” (491) The mass marketing of contraceptive devices turned many women on to the idea of being able to decide how often and how many children they
Margaret Sanger, a well known feminist and women's reproductive right activist in USA history wrote the famous speech: The Children's Era. This speech focuses on the topic of women's reproductive freedom. Sanger uses rhetorical forms of communication to persuade and modify the perspectives of the audience through the use of analogy and pathos. She uses reason, thought and emotion to lead her speech.
In post war America their existed a society of women fearful of pregnancy with morals that were deep rooted in religious believes. The pill did not exist and neither did women’s sexual freedoms. Virginity reined amongst the masses. Then came the free love movement. According to Jone Johnson Lewis a women’s history expert, “In the nineteen sixties and seventies free love came to imply a sexually active lifestyle with many casual sex partners and little to no commitment.”
While men were rewarded for sexual prowess, on the other hand women suffered from a damaged reputation. Birth control gave women the opportunity to choose to deter pregnancy, this pill was introduced in the 1906. People did not agree with birth control pills, after this there was no national standard on abortion regulations, and many states had outlawed the practice, this led to many women to seek black market abortions by unlicensed physicians or to brutally perform the procedure on themselves. (www.us.history.org). Women should be able to anything they want with their own body, of it does not concern or have to do with the other person, it should be no one’s business, if men can do it why shouldn’t women be able to do it also? Yes, it’s not ideal to be doing this sort of thing, but it’s all up to the woman to do what she wants with her body.
The Roaring Twenties were known as a time of economic boom, pop culture and social developments. This was a time when women began to break norms, they acted rebelliously such as wearing releveling clothing, smoking, and drinking. These women were known as “flappers” who wanted to change their roles in the 1920’s. Birth control activist, Margaret Sanger sought to change the world where women had access to a low cost, effective contraception pill. In “The Morality of Birth Control” Sanger battled opponents who claimed that contraception would cause women to become immoral. The author uses rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and fallacies to back up her claim while touching on issues in the church, advancements of women, and the source of disease in the world.
Women were perceived as either being a housewife, a nurturer, or a person for company. They did not have the right to vote till later on, work, and if they had an opinion that a male do not agree with, women are considered “wicked”; not savvy, not prudent but wicked to the core. It is unfair, unethical, atrocious, but through it all there was one female who dared to challenge the mind of men and the notion that women can be more than what men perceive them as being. Her name is Margaret Fuller. The goals of Margaret Fuller were precise. Men should realize that women are not an epitome of a statue but human beings, just as men, women can achieve full adulthood and citizenship, but most vitally Margaret aimed to change the assumptions about