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Roe v. Wade
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Roe v. Wade: Facts & Related Content

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Facts

Date 1973 - 2022
Location United States

Did You Know?

  • Although by the early 1900s all U.S. states had outlawed abortion, these bans were rarely enforced until the late 1930s.
  • Texas law before Roe v. Wade prohibited abortion unless the mother's life was at stake.
  • Abortion restrictions were lifted in California and New York long before Roe v. Wade.
  • Abortion was not only legal but also not widely considered immoral in the 1700s and the early to mid-1800s in the United States. Only in the late 1800s did doctors and the Roman Catholic Church take a stand against it.
  • Griswold v. State of Connecticut, a case from 1965 that established the right to privacy when medical procedures were involved, served as a legal precedent for Roe v. Wade.

Photos

Harry A. Blackmun
supporters and opponents of abortion bans outside the U.S. Supreme Court building
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Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

Harry A. Blackmun
Harry A. Blackmun
United States jurist
Sarah Weddington
Sarah Weddington
American lawyer
Norma McCorvey and Gloria Allred
Norma McCorvey
American activist

Related Quizzes and Features

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