Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth-Century America (Cornell Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Janet Farrell Brodie (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

"Sexual intercourse began," wrote Philip Larkin, "in nineteen sixty-three." Larkin's hyperbole is here thoroughly confounded. Brodie (history, Claremont Graduate Sch.) examines the changes in attitudes, technology, and medical knowledge that led to a 49 percent decrease in the number of children born to white native-born women during the 19th century. She examines an impressive range of original sources, including advertisements, an amazing array of advice books and pamphlets, and a fascinating diary in which Mary Poor, a New England woman, maintained an encoded record of her sexual activity over 23 years of marriage. In addition to describing changes in contraceptive methods, the author intriguingly attempts to trace the diffusion of knowledge and attitudes concerning sexuality and gender relationships. A concluding chapter discusses the "Comstock laws" of the 1880s (effective in some areas until 1965), which discouraged and even criminalized birth control. Highly recommended for libraries wishing to supplement John D'Emilio and Estelle B. Freedman's excellent Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America ( LJ 5/1/88).
- Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida-St. Petersburg Lib.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Brodie describes the information on abortion and contraception that was publicly available during the last century so clearly and documents it so well that her work should become a basic reference. Drawing upon a variety of printed and manuscript sources, she examines gender, class, and reform politics. Her initial source is a series of diaries kept by Mary Pierce Poor from 1845 to 1868 in which she recorded dates of menstruation and sexual activity, thus making it possible to hypothesize women's beliefs at the time about the spacing of births and such related matters as breast-feeding. Brodie then thoroughly reviews the development of nineteenth-century self-help literature and contraceptive devices and practices, stressing the importance of often overlooked mail-order catalogues. The final chapter deals with the criminalization, primarily by means of the notorious Comstock laws, of contraception and abortion information and devices during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. William Beatty --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 373 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801484332
• ISBN-13: 978-0801484339
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #781,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parting the Gilded Curtain, July 3, 2000

By 

Connie Boone - See all my reviews

This review is from: Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth-Century America (Cornell Paperbacks) (Paperback)

We are so dazzled by the gilded Victorian that we often refuse to look at the evidence of ordinary human needs and desires in the 19th century. Ms Brodie examines 100 years of attitudes and practices regarding an important aspect of marital reality -- the need to limit family size. The result is a fascinating examination of a topic that is usually ignored and often considered either non-existent or unimportant. Ms Brodie's energetic presentation is both analytical and scholarly with conclusions carefully supported by contemporary documentation. She also adds delightful textual flavor and dimension by threading excerpts from diaries and letters throughout her narrative.

The examination of Mary Pierce Poor's diary is illustrative. This unusual journal carefully records menstrual cycles and sexual contacts with Mary's husband Henry Varnum Poor from 1845 to 1868. When considering sexual abstinence as a birth control method, Ms. Brodie sees little evidence of this practice in the marital lives of the Poors, but does think that in 1851 they tried a physical separation for the summer to prevent conception. She quotes from Mary's diary to prove that this was not a happy solution. "I do not like to be long separated from you. We are happiest together, do not let us try absence again. I want to be with you, wherever you are, the rest of the summer, the rest of my life." Obviously, Mary enjoyed her conjugal pleasures, even if she was continuously worried about another pregnancy.

Overall this book is a extraordinary peak into the marital mores and realities of the Victorian period. It leaves no doubt that our ancestors grappled with the issues of family limitation and sexuality as rigorously as we do today. Terrific read. Great reference. Wonderful information.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is good, though a bit dry, May 7, 2000

By 

Brooke (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth-Century America (Cornell Paperbacks) (Paperback)

This is certainly an interesting read, though leans a little more toward the empirical than I would like. I would like for there to be more "guts" in this: for example, WHAT did couples use for contraception at this time, rather than how many people were practicing some form of contraception. It is interesting, but leaves me wanting to know more than was covered in here.