Final answer:
Margaret Sanger wanted birth control to empower women by giving them control over their pregnancies, which was deemed especially important for those in poverty. Her advocacy led to the formation of the American Birth Control League and helped promote the legalization of contraceptive methods. Despite facing legal challenges, her work significantly influenced the rights and health of women.
Step-by-step explanation:
Margaret Sanger and fellow advocates wanted birth control to give women more control over pregnancies, especially for those in poverty who could not afford more children. By enhancing knowledge of reproductive health, Sanger believed it would lead to healthier lives for women and more equal footing in society. She posited that a higher standard of living could be achieved if families had the ability to limit their children.
Furthermore, Sanger's activism was partially driven by the observation that wealthy women could discreetly obtain birth control, whereas poor and immigrant communities lacked access. Her establishment of clinics in these areas provided the necessary services discretely. While some viewed her focus on these communities as a form of population control, her broader intent was to empower women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
Despite facing significant opposition and legal challenges for her work, including the Comstock Laws branding such information as obscene, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League (which would become Planned Parenthood) and tirelessly worked to promote the legalization of contraceptive methods both in the United States and internationally. Her efforts laid the foundation for later developments such as the approval of the birth control pill in 1960, which further empowered women's choices regarding reproduction and career.