Flaming Feminist: Margaret Sanger's Battle for Birth Control.
Margaret Sanger devoted her life to educating women and making birth control available to all women throughout the world. The increased quality and longevity of many women and children's lives can be attributed to the dedication and hard work of Margaret Sanger. Sanger did more than inform people of their choices concerning their lives and those of their family, she demonstrated the many ways to successfully contribute to a cause, from writing magazine articles, to lobbying Congress. Despite the restrictive laws of the early twentieth century, Margaret Sanger was able to convey her message across to women all over the world, regardless of their social class. She wrote several magazine articles and books, created pamphlets, and gave speeches educating women and confronting topics that were seen as taboo. Using her research and extensive education, Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic. Her actions challenged the traditional way of thought and introduced concepts that changed women's position in society.
Margaret Sanger's childhood greatly contributed to her devotion. She was the sixth out of eleven children, living in a poor section of Corning, New York. At an early age she began to witness and understand the devastating affects of childbirth on a large, poor family. .
Both Margaret's mother, Anna and father, Michael were major influences on her quest for women's rights. She admired her father, who was somewhat of a rebel in town, and took his words to heart. He was an outspoken, free thinker, who instilled in Margaret the importance of helping others and standing up for your beliefs. He was an active member of the Knights of Labour and "was a great believer in women's rights, supporting female suffrage," the labor reform and social equality. .
Throughout the majority of Margaret's childhood, her mother was constantly sick and/or pregnant; therefore little time was left to care for her children.
