by Margaret Sanger
This book is included in the primary source reading in the Mater Amabilis high school history plans for Level 6 year 1. It should be clear that the faithful Catholics who collected the list of resources for our history plans do not agree with Margaret Sanger's views, but they did feel it important for students to read her actual words and grapple with them.
I printed this short book for our history binder from the Bartleby website. It came to about 80 pages, single spaced, which is too long for a single day's history assignment. I did not read it ahead of my son, so I just asked him to read for thirty minutes, then narrate what he'd read. After reading it myself, I decided on some chapters to assign for my future students.
I'm going to assign (for a single day's reading) chapters I-VI, XIV, and XVIII. The other chapters will be optional. (My second child might read them, though I'm not sure any of the others will be interested enough.) These chapters are:
I. Woman's Error and Her Debt, pp. 3-5
II. Woman's Struggle for Freedom, pp. 6-12
III. The Materials of the New Race, pp. 13-17
IV. Two Classes of Women, pp. 18-20
XIV. Woman and the New Morality, pp. 59-64
XVIII. The Goal, pp. 79-81
Chapter XIV (Woman and the New Morality) includes references to the Catholic Church's view of marital intimacy. Though her description of the baptismal rite is not strictly correct, the idea that the marital act itself was somehow tainted, even within marriage, was indeed widely believed within the church. Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body was a turning point in our understanding. It is essential for students to be introduced to these ideas before encountering arguments like Sanger's in college and the wider world. Though they may not be able to convince their friends, they should be armed with such knowledge for their own soul's protection.
I also made a note at the beginning of the reading reminding my student medical knowledge has grown since 1920, when Margaret Sanger wrote this book. A familiarity with the reproductive system is recommended and should be addressed before a student graduates from high school, at the very least.
Most of Sanger's proponents today would explicitly disavow her eugenic arguments, but there are real struggles in the world she was attempting to address. I think it's important to recognize and acknowledge those. These sorts of primary readings are therefore essential.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. This text of this book is in the public domain.
