American Experience · SEASON 15
The Pill
Episode 9 · 2003-02-24
- Documentary
Episode overview
Charting the development of an oral contraceptive during the 1950s and its effect on "the sexual revolution" of the '60s. It was enormous. Says Sylvia Clark, who grew up before the pill was available: "Women began to see themselves for the first time in all of history as economically self-sustaining." The hour examines reasons why, as it profiles the pill's key figures, including biologist Gregory Pincus and gynecologist John Rock; heiress Katharine Dexter McCormick, who financed the research; and Margaret Sanger, the activist who spearheaded it. Among Sanger's motivations: her own mother, who had 18 pregnancies (seven of them miscarriages) and died at 49.
55 minutes
Season 15 episodes
1. Jimmy Carter (1): Jimmy Who?2002-11-11
2. Jimmy Carter (2): Hostage2002-11-12
3. Chicago: City of the Century (1): Mudhole to Metropolis2003-01-13
4. Chicago: City of the Century (2): The Revolution Has Begun2003-01-14
5. Chicago: City of the Century (3): Battle for Chicago2003-01-15
6. The Murder of Emmett Till2003-01-20
7. Transcontinental Railroad2003-01-27
8. Partners of the Heart2003-02-10
9. The Pill2003-02-24
10. Daughter from Danang2003-04-07
11. Seabiscuit2003-04-21
12. Bataan Rescue2003-07-07
13. Murder at Harvard2003-07-14
