Margaret Sanger

Margaret Sanger

Birth Name: Margaret Louise Higgins

Date of Birth: September 14, 1879

Place of Birth: Corning, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: September 6, 1966

Place of Death: Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

Ethnicity: Irish

Margaret Sanger was an American birth control activist, sex educator, nurse, and writer. She popularized the term “birth control”, as well as opened the first birth control clinic in the United States. She established organizations that evolved into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Her mother, Anne (Purcell), was of Irish descent, and her father, Michael Hennessey Higgins, was as an Irish immigrant, from Galway. Her sister was progressive era radical feminist Ethel Byrne, and her niece, Olive Byrne, at least partially inspired the character Wonder Woman.

Margaret was married to James Noah H. Slee, until his death. She had three children with her former husband William Sanger. William was a German Jewish emigrant, born in Berlin.

Margaret’s maternal grandfather was named Joseph Purcell. Joseph was from Cork, Ireland. Johana was also Irish.

Margaret’s maternal grandmother was named Johana/Johanna Dugan.