Margaret Sanger’s Planned Parenthood Essay -- Exploratory Essays

Margaret Sanger’s Planned Parenthood During a time in which white supremacy was being challenged by an ever-increasing African population, a woman named Margaret Sanger â€Å"sought to purify America’s breeding stock and purge America’s bad stains† (Planned Parenthood). She set out to establish the American Birth Control League, which eventually became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Sanger’s actions provoked much controversy because at the time not only was contraception illegal in the United States, but it was denounced by almost every major religious denomination (Contraception History). Margaret Sanger set out on a mission to overcome first the church and then the state in order to â€Å"stop bringing to birth children whose inheritance cannot be one of health or intelligence,† (Planned Parenthood) and to impact women’s sexual freedom. 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... ... links to other resources in English as well as Spanish. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/ipff.htm This site provides the specific history of Planned Parenthood and provides a timeline of when involvement began in different countries across the world. It also includes the names of those on the various boards and commissions within the organization, and for what each is responsible. http://www.conservativebeacon.com/essays/Other/planned_parenthood.html This site provides an interesting comparison between Margaret Sanger and Adolf Hitler, implying that each was a white supremacist in search of ensuring the continuance of white domination. http://dianedew.com/sanger.htm This site provides quotes from Margaret Sanger herself, on many various subjects such as: blacks, adultery, abortion, and her own personal goals.