During the 1920's many changes for women and sexuality took place. Not only was this now present in the movies with sex symbols like Clara Bow, but it was also an issue brought out into society by Magaret Sanger. Arrested and shunned by society for many of her acts, she continued to fight for women to have freedom over their bodies. Margaret Sanger was a representative American, because of her struggle for birth control and women's rights, and her portrayal of the spirit of the 1920's.
Margaret was born in NY, and became a nurse in the Lower East Side of New York. She was brought up by her father to stand up for what she believes in, and she became interested in the idea of birth control when she noticed that many women became poor because of the many unplanned children, and that the rate of children's deaths was high. Margaret's own mother had ten children, and her mother was constantly unhealthy. This caused her to go into nursing, and she saw many women die trying to give themselves abortions using horrible methods. Birth control was only available to the wealthy, and could only legally be used to protect men from prostitutes. Doctors were not willing to help her campaign.
Her main battle was against the Catholic Church, that thought the bible should be taken literally, and that it was immoral to stop a child from being born. Sanger said the church was trying to hide women's beliefs, and that they wanted bigger families to contribute more money to the church. She wrote many books such as What Every Girl Should Know, and Woman Rebel, which were both considered dirty and immoral. She was arrested for mailing her material, and for opening the first birth control clinic, where women lined up for information. She tried to gain support from feminists and socialists, but they both found her ideas too radical.
During her trials she became famous, and in 1921 she started the American Birth Control League. In 1927 she started the World Population conference, and in 1953 she began Planned Parenthood. Although her clinic was shut, down she was able to reach out to many lower class women. She was also able to become a nurse out of a family living in poverty. Now, all classes have access to birth control, and many organizations have sprung off her ideas. She changed the way people think about birth control, and now more religions are open to this idea.
Margaret Sanger greatly reflected an aspect of the decade. She reflected the spirit of the 1920's because during this time "modernization and traditionalism" were battling one another. By arguing for birth control and women's rights over their bodies, she was implying that change is good and necessary. The Catholic church and other groups against her crusade were trying to hold on to their traditional beliefs. They believed talking and informing about sex was immoral and vulgar. Margaret Sanger greatly represented the 1920's.
Margaret Sanger was a great fighter for women's rights and birth control. Many obstacles and groups of people tried to subdue her, but she stood up for she believed in. Her question of traditional beliefs reflected the decade of the 1920's, and her battle had many lasting impacts, which are still seen today. Because of her efforts and and spirit of the '20's, Margaret Sanger is a representative American.
http://library.furman.edu/resources/subject/women/images/margaretsanger.gif
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http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about/thisispp/sanger.htm
http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/sanger.html