History Evening: A Wonder of the Modern World

A Wonder of the Modern World: A history of the oral contraceptive pill.

Note early start – 6.15pm

Guest Speaker: Dr Prudence Flowers

In 1960, when the oral contraceptive pill was released on to the market in the United States, it triggered profound changes in how women and men in the Western world would approach sex, love, and family. This talk explores the social, medical, and political history of ‘the pill, ’ a revolutionary yet controversial pharmaceutical drug. It will outline the legal context in which the pill was developed, explaining the state and federal laws in the United States that categorised birth control as ‘obscene’ and criminal. It will consider the motivations, beliefs, and actions of Margaret Sanger, Katherine McCormick, Dr. Gregory Pincus, and Dr. John Rock, the central individuals who helped transform the pill from an idea into reality. It ends by sketching out the dramatic global response to the pill in the 1960s, teasing out the link between the pill, the sexual revolution, and the emergence of second-wave feminism.

Time: 1815 lecture begins; 1930 dinner

Members Price: $75.00; $15.00 lecture only

Non-Members: $85.00; $15.00 lecture only

Dress: Jacket and Tie

RSVP: By 5PM, Monday 30 October 2023

(Bookings cancelled after the RSVP will incur a 50% charge of the ticket price)

Dr Prudence Flowers

Dr Prudence Flowers is a Senior Lecturer in US History at Flinders University, where she teaches all era of US history, from the colonial period to the 21st century. Her research focuses on social movement activism, modern conservatism, medicine and public health, and the politics of gender, sexuality, and the body. She has published extensively on the history of the anti-abortion movement in the United States, and her next monograph will be on Ronald Reagan, the Republican Party, and conservatism.