On November 10, 1921 at the First American Birth Control Conference in NYC, Margaret Sanger, women’s rights activist, founded the American Birth Control League. [1]
(http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1676.html)
Sanger, referenced in the blog titled “1916: Sanger’s Clinic” (https://womensreprightshistory.wordpress.com/2017/02/12/1916-sangers-clinic/) was an activist for mainly women’s reproductive rights. She was well-known and had been fighting for women’s rights throughout the 1910’s.
Sanger started the American Birth Control League to offer a program including education through conferences and public meetings, as well as literature. The program also included reform, legislation, and research that would hopefully build a national organization with representation in every region of the country. [2]The ABCL disseminated birth control information to social workers, doctors, women’s clubs and the scientific community in hopes of furthering the common knowledge of women’s contraceptives, and to ignite further research on the topic as well.[3]
The ABCL members were also lobbyists for birth control legislation at the state and national levels. [4]
(https://sangerpapers.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/carnegie_hall.gif)
As seen in this pamphlet, Margaret Sanger was promoting rallies around NYC for women to take part in in hopes of promoting legislation and education about birth control rights. The date and time, as well as location, was clearly stated to ensure women had access to the fight against birth control limitations. [5]
By 1926, only 5 years after the founding of the ABCL, it had over 37,000 members, each paying a $1.00 fee, and also had support of certain physicians, scientists, and NYC socialites alike. [6]
Back tracking three years to 1923, the first legal birth control clinic in the US opened as a branch of the ABCL. This clinic was named The Clinical Research Bureau, and provided married women and couples with contraceptive services, counseling, and fitted women for contraceptives including pessaries, a small, soluble block inserted to prevent pregnancy, and diaphragms. The clinic also carried out research on the effectiveness and safety of a contraceptive clinic staffed by medical doctors. [7]
Margaret Sanger served as the ABCL president from 1921 until her resignation in 1928, when she had administrative differences with Acting President Eleanor Dwight Jones. After the split, Sanger gained full control of the Clinical Research Bureau and even severed ties with the ABCL. [8]
But, in 1939 after years of operating separately, the CRB and ABCL merged, forming the Birth Control Federation of America. Three years later, the clinic changed its name to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which is the Planned Parenthood we know (and love) today. [9]
Sources:
“Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
(Primary) “Margaret Sanger.” Margaret Sanger. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
“Posts about American Birth Control League on Margaret Sanger Papers Project.” Margaret Sanger Papers Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
“Posts about American Birth Control League on Saynsumthn’s Blog.” Saynsumthns Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[1] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[2]“Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[3] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[4] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[5] “Posts about American Birth Control League on Margaret Sanger Papers Project.” Margaret Sanger Papers Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[6] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[7] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[8] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
[9] “Birth Control Organizations.” MSPP / About Sanger / Birth Control Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
History of the Rights-fight: women's reproductive rights in the united states 
