Black Market Birth Control There

Black Market Birth Control

There has been very little work -- scholarly or otherwise -- that explores the roles of entrepreneurs and supporters of birth control during the late 19th to early 20th century when birth control was considered a crime in the United States. However, after reading Andrea Tone's "Black Market Birth Control: Contraceptive Entrepreneurship and Criminality in the Gilded Age" it becomes clear that it is the efforts of these "bootleggers" that kept the practice of birth control alive, as well as continued the development of new, more effective contraceptive devices. This article aims to, and succeeds at, generate a fuller understanding of the underground movement in birth control, which was a springboard for the now legal, lucrative, and effective practice of birth control today.

This article is presented within the context of several anecdotes of people involved in the birth control culture of the time. The author explains her position through the voices of people who were making their living in this field, or those who were partaking in the illegal practices. This technique allows the reader to really understand the roles of the individuals involved, giving the historical account a strong feeling of personal history and human interest. Through her discussion of the prominent individuals involved in the world of black market birth control, Tone communicates a clear sympathy for the trials and unfortunate situations that the historical figures find themselves in. Of course, Tone also explores a broader picture of the black market for birth control, suggesting that not only were the efforts of the main individuals a boon to the future of prophylactics, but the market itself contributed greatly to the economy of the time.

As stated by Tone, Antionette Hon of South Bend Indiana made a considerable yearly income off the birth control black market, totally around $3,600 in 1917 (478). "Henry Hunter's annual profits from selling birth control were estimated to be as high as $1, 700 per year in 1873" (455). Both of these individuals were immigrants who's average future in the United States, though generally far more lucrative than those of their native countries, was usually far below the income potential of American citizens. This information allows us to understand not only how widespread illegal birth control was, but also how it played major role in building the economy, and contributing to the stability of immigrant families.

The importance of the birth control black market goes beyond economic concerns, however. Tone brings the history of birth control to life, exploring the underbelly of an industry that is not only still booming, but also almost completely culturally accepted in the 21st century. This allows the reader to not only understand the trials and efforts to build up a valuable industry, but the lessons learned about the cultural atmosphere, and both the moral and scientific beliefs of the time can be applied to other topics that the reader may wish to explore. This piece essentially serves as a snapshot of the "real" people that were involved, leaving the broad assumptions and cold historical considerations of the "right" side of the law behind. It is also important to note that the culture of the government is not necessarily an accurate reflection of the popular culture of the time. Even those who participate in the government culture, like Albert Janin, a married lawyer in Washington, D.C., were not immune to the personal issues that inspired people to break these laws.

I really enjoyed the personal nature of the article, which not only allowed the piece to come alive instead of being yet another piece of dry historical work, but also really brought the issue to life since these kinds of laws trickle down to the individual, forcing them to make decisions they may have not ordinarily made. The photographs were also helpful in understanding how crude the science of birth control was at the time. Knowing this fact allows the reader to understand two things: first, how without the efforts of these clandestine entrepreneurs the safe and effective devices we have today would not have been invented. And secondly, it helps the audience understand why these laws were put in place to begin with because it illustrates how dangerous and unreliable the contraceptives were.