A History of the Birth Control Movement in America

Reviews / Votes

[Engelman] reveals the backbreaking work of activists determined to legalize birth control in the Progressive Era. . . . An enjoyable read that builds on an impressive body of scholarship in order to educate the general audience about the history of birth control activism in the United States. * The Bulletin of the History of Medicine * Engelman has succeeded in providing an accessible and detailed study of an important movement in American women's history. This book would work well in the classroom and would serve as a wonderful reference for students writing research papers on the birth control movement as well as faculty lecturing about the topic. It would also serve as an important text for non-historians eager to learn more about this history. * Social History of Medicine * Of particular interest are discussions of neo-Malthusians, medical doctors, Progressive-era reformers, anti-obscenity crusaders, free speech advocates, socialists, anarchists, and eugenicists. At the center of the story is Margaret Sanger, whose own story is interwoven with these various groups. Engelman offers an interesting, nuanced portrayal of this complex figure and her ongoing struggle for safe, affordable, and accessible contraception. * Choice * Engelman's new work provides a brief and well-written introduction to this fascinating and overlooked American social reform movement and its complicated but passionate hero, Margaret Sanger. * The Journal of Clinical Investigation *