2. Birth Control Was a Battle
A pivotal chapter in American society began in 1960 when reliable birth control became widely accessible in the United States. Before then, women had severely limited reproductive freedom. Research documents that “in 1936, a Supreme Court decision declassified birth control information as obscene,” marking an important but insufficient step forward. Margaret Sanger, a crucial figure in women’s rights history, opened America’s first birth control clinic in 1916. Despite facing immediate arrest, she persisted in her advocacy work. Women’s reproductive rights remained heavily restricted for decades afterward, demonstrating the long struggle for bodily autonomy.
