Third Quarter Research Project

   Birth Control During the Progressive Era

     During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, there was new movements toward a controversial subject, birth control. There were women who were in full support of this movement, and women, like the feminists, who were against the idea of using birth control. Many women were greatly affected by this newly introduced product, and enjoyed the idea that they now had the option and the power to control their lives. During the Progressive Era, marriage and the view of how a typical women should be and act were very different than they are now. Birth control is viewed so differently now than it was. This has something to do with why it was so hard for women to be socially accepted if they used birth control.

     Birth control was a very controversial topic during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Feminists views and ideas seemed to run the country. Women were getting married at a very young age, and after marriage meant babies. A young women, during this time period, would not have been socially accepted if she did not do these things: Marry a good husband, get married, have babies, and then take care of them. It was a "society with a strong element of prudery" (Linda Gordon's book on birth control, page 24). Many feminists frowned heavily on the idea that a women would use it, they thought that a women should have her baby when she was pregnant, it was an absurd notion that a women could control something in her life for once. They also thought that this meant it would boost the use of condoms which were thought to give men the freedom to cheat on their wives which would give a negative effect on the family. Feminists did not want for women to gain control by birth control, they wanted "women to gain increased respect for their traditional roles" (medicinenet). There was one women who changed this view and was the strongest advocate toward this movement. 

     Margret Sanger was a women who had a major influence on birth control. She coined the term, birth control, and if that is not enough she led many women to use it, and made huge progression toward making birth control legal. She changed the view of how women were to be perceived. She was inspired to start advocating birth control because she was the sixth of eleven children, and her mother passed away quite young at 50 years old. Margret, a well practiced nurse, thought that this was due to the large amount of children that her mother birthed, which was a grand total of 18, and it may have been. Many women during this time period were dying because of complications during birth and even pregnancies, and she saw a lot of this because of her job as a nurse. Margret Sanger was very adamant about women using birth control and gives her opinion on this matter, "Women thought that since we gave the birth to the child we should do the primary child raising, as well as perform the nurturing functors for the whole society" (Linda Gordon's book on birth control page 42). She wanted women to have their own say, to have their own way, to be able to control the one thing they could, birth. 

     Margret Sanger gathered her passion for this movement from her mentor, Emma Goldman, who never made any huge progress like Margret did. In the early nineteenth century there were two developments quickly happening, "falling birth rates, or increased use of birth control, and the first political movements for reproductive control" (Linda Gordon's book on Birth control, page 42). This was due to Margret Sanger's actions. 6.5 million women used birth control when it hit the market in 1960, and most of these women were married. (washingtonpost) The pill gave women a way to control their lives, and that was and still is inspiring for most women. Sanger says, "No woman should be compelled to bring a baby into the world unless she is physically fitted to properly endow the child with a good brain and body. That is what birth control knowledge is for; to show women under what conditions it is best for them to bear children" (The day book, advocating birth control). Margret Sanger definitely used communication, and collaboration to her advantage. She created a group known as, Voluntary Motherhood, which accepted the idea of willing mothers to be the best fit to have and to raise children. Many women joined that and collaborated together to stand up to the law, and stand up to feminists who were adamant about not using this drug.

     "At this time, urbanization and industrialization began to create living conditions in which large families were no longer economical" (Linda Gordon's birth control book, page 42). This was a big problem, space and poverty levels were declining and rapidly rising. Many women were having a lot of children, but so many children that they could not afford to feed everyone in their family. They were already close to the poverty level, but with each new child brought on a new bearing. Crime rates flew through the roof because women were having to steal for their children. In Cleveland, Ohio, Judge Philips states his opinion about women using birth control, "There should be knowledge of birth control among poor people. they bring children into the world and are not able to support them honestly" (The day book, newspaper). That is so sad that women had nothing to stop them from reproducing, but amazing that they would do anything for their child. "In Europe birth control is sanctioned by the governments. In the United States it's blindly condemned by law" (the day book, newspaper). Margret Sanger was arrested for writing information on birth control in her magazine "Women Rebel". Margret Sanger said, "No legislative power in the world can keep the women of America from learning and practicing birth control" (The day book, newspaper). She wanted to have clinics set up where nurses would administer the drug and then nurses would be able to keep the women's children. She has big plans, and most of them are in action today.

     Margret Sanger was the main women who got birth control started, and the main reason of why we have it today. Without her, our world could be flipped upside down. She had a vision and she made it happen. She helped large families and small families, and most importantly she changed the feminists view of the role women have in their homes. "She wanted to do more than just honor Mother's, she wanted to change their lives" (washintonpost). She innovated something that is still intact, and innovated something that influenced that time period greatly. To be able to give women control of their lives, is handing them freedom in a pill, and she is one of the only ones who has done it successfully. "Against the state, against the church, against the silence of the medical profession, against the whole machinery of dead institutions of the past, the woman of today arises" (Margret Sanger, cgc.maricopa). 

Goldman wrote a letter to Sangar, when
Sangar was awaiting trial, telling her what
to do and how to stay strong.
Site 

This is a picture of Margret Sangar
Site

This is a newspaper article on Judges
advocating Birth control
Site

This is a newspaper article talking about Birth
Control in the Progressive Era
Site 

This is Emma Goldman, awaiting her
deportation.
Site

This is a Yiddish political cartoon illustrating
Goldman fighting for her freedom.
Site 

Sources!:

1. Linda Gordon. Birth control book – Secondary Source 

This author is credible because she wrote a book. I feel that if someone wrote a book on a topic then they are quite educated in that particular topic. Linda Gordon wrote a book on Why Nineteenth-Century Feminists Did Not Support “Birth Control” and Twentieth- Century Feminists Do: Feminism, Reproduction, and the Family. I feel that Linda Gordon would not write about a topic she knew nothing about. She wrote quite a few pages on this subject, Birth Control, so she had a lot of data and information. Linda Gordon knows her information on Birth control, and proved it by writing this book. 

2. Elaine May. Washington Post website – Secondary Source 

Elaine May is a professor of American studies and history at the University of Minnesota and the author of, America and the Pill: A History of Promise, Peril, and Liberation. I think that she would give credible information because she is an author of a book and a professor. I believe that she knows what she is talking about and because she is a professor and because she is published that leads me to believe that she is a credible source and a reliable source. 

3. Sunsite Manager. Birth Control Pioneer – Primary Source

I know this is a credible database because it is an online exhibit. People visit Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE regularly because it is an online exhibition, so I believe SunSITE would not put up dis credible information on birth control. SunSITE is also a digital library, so I feel that a digital library and online exhibit are the reason this primary source is credible. 

4. Library of Congress. The day book (October 17, 1916). Judge advocates Birth control – Primary Source

I believe this to be a credible Primary Source because I got it from Library of Congress, and this is also a newspaper, showing printed proof of Judges advocating Birth control towards poor families. Library of Congress is a credible source because it is a database that holds primary sources for historians to use. 

 5. Library of Congress. The day book (April 1, 1916). Information on Birth control – Primary Source 

Library of congress is a credible Primary Source because it gives the actual picture of the actual newspaper and doesn’t make up information, that was the original copy from the Progressive Era, and this is a database that historians and important figures use. 

6. Daniel DeNoon. Medicinenet. – Secondary Source

This author, Daniel DeNoon, is a credible author because he is said to be a WebMD feature, which I think is a pretty remarkable thing. I believe that someone who is known as a WebMD Feature is a reliable source and understands the medical side of my topic, Birth control. 

7. Ana Verdusco. cgc.maricopa. – Secondary Source 

These authors are credible because they are CGCC Students in partnership with Chandler Museum’s Public History Program, so I believe this makes these authors credible. 

8. The textbook. American History: a survery, twelfth edition by Alan Brinkley – Primary source

The textbook is a great secondary source because it is telling the story of history. Alan Brinkley is a great author because he not only wrote this book, but he published many others and I feel that he is a reliable source due to this.