Margaret Sanger
Nurse, Author
1879 – 1966
Who was Margaret Sanger?
Margaret Higgins Sanger was an American birth control activist, sex educator, and nurse. Sanger popularized the term birth control, opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established organizations that evolved into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Sanger's efforts contributed to several judicial cases that helped legalize contraception in the United States. Sanger is a frequent target of criticism by opponents of birth control and has also been criticized for supporting eugenics, but remains an iconic figure in the American reproductive rights movement.
In 1916, Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, which led to her arrest for distributing information on contraception. Her subsequent trial and appeal generated enormous support for her cause. Sanger felt that in order for women to have a more equal footing in society and to lead healthier lives, they needed to be able to determine when to bear children. She also wanted to prevent unsafe abortions, so-called back-alley abortions, which were common at the time because abortions were usually illegal.
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- Born
- Sep 14, 1879
Corning - Also known as
- Margaret Higgins
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- James Noah
(1922 - 1943) - William Sanger
(1902 - 1921)
- James Noah
- Children
- Religion
- Atheism
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Died
- Sep 6, 1966
Tucson
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Margaret Sanger." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/margaret_sanger>.
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