September 14th, 1879

Margaret Sanger Is Born

Born Margaret Higgins, she was the sixth of eleven children born into poverty to an Irish Catholic working-class family in Corning, New York. She saw firsthand the effects of constant childbearing on women and blamed her mother's eighteen pregnancies (seven ended in miscarriage or stillbirth) for her early death.

1910

Sanger and Her Husband, William, Move to Greenwich Village in NYC

Around this time, Sanger started advocating for women's right to what she called "birth control." She even made up the term. She also joined the Women's Committee of the New York Socialist Party and the Liberal Club. Meanwhile, she hung out with the likes of Emma Goldman and Upton Sinclair.

1912

Sanger Starts Writing "What Every Girl Should Know"

During this time, Sanger worked as a nurse in poor NYC neighborhoods. She saw firsthand the effects of botched abortions done at home or in illegal clinics by "doctors." She started writing this newspaper column to educate women about pregnancy prevention.

1914

Sanger Publishes The Woman Rebel

She started her own magazine to continue to educate women about birth control. According to the Comstock Act of 1873 (check out our discussion in the "Compare and Contrast" section), it was illegal to send information about contraception through the mail, so Sanger got in some hot water and fled to Europe to avoid jail time.

1915

Sanger Goes on Tour

Charges were dropped, so Sanger returned to the United States with smuggled diaphragms and went around the country educating women about birth control.

1916

The First Birth Control Clinic in the United States Opens, and Sanger Starts Publishing The Birth Control Review

One guess who opened this clinic. (If you said "Margaret Sanger" you get a gold star.)

It was raided on its ninth day and Sanger and her sister did a month's jail time for distributing contraceptives. Her appeal was important, though. While her conviction wasn't overturned, the court changed the law to allow doctors to prescribe contraceptives—but only if there was a medical reason why a woman shouldn't get pregnant and only if she was married.

Also, Sanger started another magazine.

1921

Sanger Starts the American Birth Control League

This organization would eventually become Planned Parenthood.

1923

The Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau Opens in Manhattan

This was the first legal birth control clinic in the United States. Doctors provided birth control and studied its impacts on women's health.

1929

Sanger Started the National Committee for Federal Legislation on Birth Control

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Sanger started working through legal channels to get laws about birth control changed. Her main goal was for doctors to be able to legally distribute birth control.

1936

An Importin' Moment

The U.S. Court of Appeals allowed contraceptive devices to be imported.

1952

Sanger Establishes the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

After a long retirement, Sanger made a big comeback.

Early 1950s

Moving Toward the "Magic Pill"

Sanger dreamed of a magic pill that would prevent pregnancy. She recruited Gregory Pincus, a human reproduction expert, to work on it and Katharine McCormick, an heiress, to fund it.

1960

The Pill Debuts

Enovid, the first oral contraceptive pill, was approved by the FDA.

1965

Griswold v. Connecticut

This U.S. Supreme Court case made birth control legal for married couples.

September 6th, 1966

End of An Era

Sanger died in Arizona, having lived to see her dream of a "magic pill" come true.

1972

Baird v. Eisenstadt

This U.S. Supreme Court case made birth control legal for anyone: married, in a long-term relationship, or single and ready to mingle.

1973

Roe v. Wade

One of the U.S. Supreme Court's most recognized and controversial decisions, Roe v. Wade ruled that a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy is covered under the constitutional right to privacy.

However, it didn't end the debate over abortion, and attempts to challenge it continue to this day.