Margaret Sanger Papers Project

Margaret Sanger Papers Project is a comprehensive archival project dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Margaret Sanger, a pioneering birth control activist and founder of the American Birth Control League and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The project is housed at New York University's Bobst Library and is affiliated with the Department of History at New York University. The project's mission is to collect, preserve, and make accessible the papers and records of Margaret Sanger and other prominent figures in the birth control movement, including Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, and Harriet Stanton Blatch.

Introduction

The Margaret Sanger Papers Project was established in 1981 by Estelle Friedman, a historian and women's rights activist, with the goal of collecting and preserving the papers and records of Margaret Sanger and other key figures in the birth control movement. The project has collaborated with numerous institutions and individuals, including the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University, to collect and preserve the papers of Margaret Sanger and other prominent feminists, such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul. The project has also worked with reproductive rights organizations, including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Organization for Women, to promote the legacy of Margaret Sanger and the birth control movement.

History

The Margaret Sanger Papers Project has a rich history that dates back to the early 20th century, when Margaret Sanger began collecting and preserving her own papers and records. After Margaret Sanger's death in 1966, her papers were donated to the Library of Congress, where they were preserved and made accessible to researchers. In the 1980s, the Margaret Sanger Papers Project was established to collect and preserve the papers of other key figures in the birth control movement, including Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, and Harriet Stanton Blatch. The project has also collaborated with other archival projects, such as the Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and the Alice Paul Papers, to promote the legacy of women's rights activists and the feminist movement. The project has received funding from numerous organizations, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and the Ford Foundation.

Scope and Content

The Margaret Sanger Papers Project includes a vast array of materials, including correspondence, diaries, speeches, and other papers of Margaret Sanger and other key figures in the birth control movement. The collection also includes records of organizations, such as the American Birth Control League and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, as well as reproductive rights organizations, such as the National Organization for Women and the American Civil Liberties Union. The project has also collected papers and records of other prominent feminists, including Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and Shirley Chisholm, as well as civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. The collection is housed at New York University's Bobst Library and is available to researchers through the project's website and online catalog.

Digitization and Accessibility

The Margaret Sanger Papers Project has made significant efforts to digitize and make accessible its collections, including the papers of Margaret Sanger and other key figures in the birth control movement. The project has collaborated with numerous digital libraries and archives, including the Internet Archive and the Digital Public Library of America, to make its collections available online. The project's website provides access to a vast array of digital materials, including correspondence, diaries, speeches, and other papers of Margaret Sanger and other prominent feminists, such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul. The project has also developed online exhibits and educational resources, including the Margaret Sanger Papers Microfilm Edition and the Birth Control Movement in America online exhibit, to promote the legacy of Margaret Sanger and the birth control movement.

Significance and Impact

The Margaret Sanger Papers Project has had a significant impact on the field of women's history and reproductive rights, providing researchers and scholars with access to a vast array of primary sources and materials. The project has collaborated with numerous institutions and organizations, including the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress, and the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University, to promote the legacy of Margaret Sanger and the birth control movement. The project has also worked with reproductive rights organizations, including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Organization for Women, to promote access to birth control and reproductive health services. The project's collections and online resources have been used by numerous researchers and scholars, including historians, sociologists, and feminist theorists, to study the birth control movement and the legacy of Margaret Sanger. The project has received numerous awards and recognition, including the National Humanities Medal and the Society of American Archivists' Waldo Gifford Leland Prize. Category:Archival projects