Roe v.

Wade
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1) What led to the Roe v. Wade trial? 2) How did the abortion laws change over the years? 3) Who was Norma McCorvey and why was she signicant in the trial?

"Jane Roe"
Norma McCorvey
Plaintiff of the Roe v. Wade trial. When she was 21 her marriage ended and she had a ve year old In 1969 she became pregnant again and considered an illegal abortion. Texas anti-abortion law (1859) did not allow abortion, except to save mother's life. She fought to legalize abortion in Texas

Abortion in Ancient Times

Roman law permitted abortion. Greek and Roman law did little to protect the unborn. Records of abortions in early American years exist. In early America abortions were looked down upon. Early American colonies got their laws from English common law --> abortion prior to quickening=misdemeanor, abortion after quickening=felony.

Margaret Sanger
She founded the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1916. She believed in the beliefs of Thomas Malthus (philosopher with theories on population growth and economic stability). 1955- Planned Parenthood held secret meeting to talk about abortion. The organization claimed that the only way to save women from dying in black market abortions was to legalize them.

Illegal Abortions
When abortions were illegal, many women would have illegal abortions. These abortions led to many deaths or defects on the mother. They became less frequent during the time of the Comstock Law (1873).

 No abortion laws in the U.S. existed until the 19th century. By the 1800s all states had laws banning abortions except to save the mother's life. Two incidents in the1960s led to reexamination of the laws. Women's rights organizations in the 1960s began to demand reform of these laws. Once people started to consider these laws, the courts started to attack the strict state laws.

Abortion History Legal

Women's Rights and Abortion

Early feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton opposed abortion because it was a risk to the mother's health and life. By 1965 abortions were banned in all 50 states except in some cases that varied by the state. Many groups worked to liberate anti-abortion laws.

Jane Roe's Case

No laws at that time addressed the issue of the unborn. McCorvey states that the law that made abortion illegal was unconstitutional. Said her privacy and rights given by the 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th Amendments were being taken away She wanted a court order against the statute enforcement so she could go ahead with the abortion.

Bibliography
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"'Jane Roe' of Roe v. Wade Airs Anti-Obama Ad in Florida." N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. <http:// xklusiveaccess.com/2012/10/25/jane-roe-of-roe-v-wade-airs-anti-obama-ad-in-florida/>. "Margaret Sangers Campaign." ThirdSight History. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. <http://social.rollins.edu/ wpsites/thirdsight/2013/04/13/margaret-sangers-campaign/>. "Roe v. Wade." California Right to Life. N.p., Dec. 1999. Web. 10 May 2013. <http://www.calright2life.org/ RoevWade.htm>. "Roe v. Wade." Encyclopedia.com. West's Encyclopedia of American Law, 2005. Web. 10 May 2013. <http:// www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Roe_v_Wade.aspx>. "Roe v. Wade." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. <http://www.enotes.com/roe-v-wade-reference/ roe-v-wade>. "ROE v. WADE." Roe v. Wade. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. <http://www.oyez.org/cases/ 1970-1979/1971/1971_70_18/>.