The issue of birth control and family planning did not begin with the creation of “the pill.”  Contraception was discussed and practiced in different forms for hundreds of years. Fearing that these methods would lead to more promiscuity and possibly more unwed mothers, many states created anti-contraception laws which lasted until the 1960s. 
This edition of That's History discusses the history of contraception and the attitudes surrounding it that exist today. The Historical Society's collections contain information on birth control and family planning. Search our collections online or visit us at 1300 Locust St. Philadelphia, PA 19107

Suggested Materials:

Margaret Sanger, an autobiography

Revolutionary conceptions: women, fertility, and family limitation in America, 1760-1820

Family planning and rural poverty: an approach to programing of services