birth control

Interpreting the Sources, Question 1

The Ideological Division Between Margaret Sanger and Winter Russell

During the beginning of the 20th century the use of birth control was as heavily debated as the issue of abortion is today. At the forefront for the advocacy of birth control was Margaret Sanger, a strong willed woman who firmly believed women’s independence, and the health of the nations population was heavily tied to the use of birth control. Sanger’s opposition, Winter Russell felt the use of birth control would be the wrong solution for the nation and instead pushed for married couples at that time to keep having children. It is blatantly obvious after reading the speeches given by Sanger and Russell their ideologies relating to birth control were completely opposite, yet neither Sanger nor Russell’s argument was a strong one.
Although birth control devices had been in use and advertised in America ever since the early 19th century, the national attention ...