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Abortion in America - the beginnings
When America was first colonized - until about the 1800's, abortion was legal and commonly practiced. In fact, it was often advertised in newspapers, and even church officials were indifferent about the issue. -
Period: to
Abortion in America - the beginnings
When America was first colonized - until about the 1800's, abortion was legal and commonly practiced. In fact, it was often advertised in newspapers, and even church officials were indifferent about the issue. -
American Medical Association (AMA)
This organization was created in 1847 and had hopes of making abortions illegal. This was an action taken to keep women from domination the medical field. At the time, abortions would only be allowed in cases of saving the mother's life, which needed approval from a doctor. -
Comstock laws
A set of laws which criminalized birth control and abortion. Women were only given exceptions in cases deemed necessary by a licensed doctor. -
Griswold v. Conneticut
This federal court case was focused on the topic of contraception (or birth control). It ruled that women had the right to privacy, allowing them to buy and use contraceptives -
Roe v. Wade
Up until this point, voluntary abortions remained illegal. However, under the Roe v. Wade supreme court case, it was ruled that women had the right to privacy, which included their right to abortion. -
Stenberg v. Carhart
This supreme court case ruled against partial-birth abortions -
President Bush
In 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law a ban on all abortion procedures. This would be shutdown immediately -
What has changed
Well, at first abortion was widely accepted and people were generally indifferent about the topic. Then, overtime, there was a wave against abortion - primarily to keep women from dominating the medical field. This would last for 100 years or so and abortion would be illegal. Finally, came the Roe v. Wade case which allowed women the right to privacy, which included the right to an abortion. -
Has there been any compromise?
Not since Roe v. Wade when abortion was deemed as a right. -
Where is the country heading on this issue?
As of right now, I suppose nothing will change. Everyone has their own opinions which are becoming more and more divided, but there hasn't been any mass movements or events to suggest that abortion laws will change -
My prediction
I predict that nothing will happen, and abortion laws will be protected. At the very best, I could see there being some compromise, but I don't think abortion will ever be illegal again -
Citations
Comstock Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Comstock-Act History of Abortion in the U.S. Timeline. (2019, June 24). Retrieved from https://eastsidegynecology.com/blog/us-abortion-history-timeline/ The Supreme Court . Expanding Civil Rights . Landmark Cases . Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_griswold.html