Question

1. What crime did Sanger commit? What does the indictment and the language used to describe both Sanger's crime and her pamphlet reveal about beliefs of the time period?

2. What do you think Sanger hoped to accomplish with The Woman Rebel? What is "free motherhood?" Do you agree with Sanger's that birth control contributed to female independence and "free womanhood?"

3. Do you think Sanger's pamphlet was an effective way to disseminate information about birth control? Why, or why not?

Answer 1

Sol.1. The crime committed by Margaret Sanger was broken The Comstock Law, The Comstock Law, a federal statute that criminalized contraceptives any device, drug, or chemical agent that prevents conception had been on the books since 1873. This law made it a federal offense to disseminate birth control information through the mail or across state lines. State laws enacted their own versions of Comstock laws that further restricted the sale of contraceptives. Margaret Senger and others (influenced by her) made it their mission to change these laws.

Senger was charged with breaking Section 1142 of the New York State Penal Code, which forbade anyone to sell, lend, or give away, or to advertise, loan, or distribute any recipe drug or medicine for the prevention of conception.

To drum up clients for the clinic, Sangar printed 5,000 pamphlets in English, Yiddish (a language spoken by many Jews) and Italian. They read:

"Mothers! Can you afford to have a large family?

Do you want any more children?

If not, why do you have them?

Do not kill, do not take life, but prevent.

Safe, harmless information can be obtained from trained nurses

Tell your friends and neighbors

. All mothers welcome"