The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger, Volume 2

Promoting birth control as reform rather than revolution

The birth control crusader, feminist, and reformer Margaret Sanger was one of the most controversial and dynamic figures of the twentieth century. Volume 2 chronicles Sanger’s efforts during the Depression years to legalize contraception. These significant and engaging letters and writings, constructed to be read as biography, tell the story of Sanger’s frank discussion of birth control before an uneasy Congress, her quest for a judicial test case, and her ongoing public relations campaign in the face of powerful opposition from the Catholic Church, to convince Americans about the benefits of birth control. Volume 2 also documents Sanger’s complicated personal life, her unstable marriage, loss of wealth, and love affairs in middle age. Required reading for anyone interested in the emergence of planned parenthood and the life of its extraordinary leader.