All Episodes

June 26, 2025 10 mins

Few medical breakthroughs have changed the world as profoundly as the birth control pill, and few people were as instrumental in that transformation as Margaret Sanger. In this episode, we trace the fierce, controversial, and ultimately world-shaking campaign for reproductive autonomy, from back-alley clinics and prison cells to laboratories and FDA approval.

Margaret and the Pill is not just the story of a scientific invention, it's a story of defiance, moral courage, strategic compromise, and the complicated legacy of one woman whose vision reshaped the 20th century.

Topics Covered:

  • Margaret Sanger's early life and motivation for fighting for birth control

  • The Comstock Laws and the criminalization of contraceptive information

  • Founding of the first birth control clinic and Planned Parenthood

  • Sanger's controversial ties to eugenics

  • Collaboration with Gregory Pincus and Katharine McCormick

  • Development, trials, and approval of the birth control pill

  • The sexual revolution and the pill's far-reaching cultural impact

  • The backlash, religious opposition, and feminist critiques

  • Sanger's legacy: groundbreaking pioneer or flawed radical?

 

DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/ 

 

LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com

SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast

ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise 

 

SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast

LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.