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First U.S. Law Prohibiting Abortions
Connecticut makes the first ever law in the United States prohibiting abortions. -
The First Birth Control Clinic
Margaret Sagner who founded the birth control movement in the United States opened the first birth control clinic in America in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was arrested for it. -
Illegal Abortions
Before 1973, women were either having self-induced or back-alley abortions. They were often blindfolded, taken to remote areas and were unable to see who was doing the procedure. 200 women died each year from illegal abortions due to how little medical experience the people performing it had and the fact that women were reluctant to go to the doctors for treatments. -
Hawaii & New York Decriminalizing Abortion
Hawaii became the first state to legalize abortion and New York followed behind soon after and repealed its laws against it and decriminalized it. -
United States v. Vuitch
This was the first Supreme Court case involving abortion. The District of Columbia had an abortion statute that prohibited abortion unless it was "necessary for the preservation of the mother's life or health". It was argued that this was unconstitutionally vague and the issue was taken to the Supreme Court where it was decided that it wasn't, so the law was upheld. This meant that in the District of Columbia, abortions were completely allowed. -
Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court case that legalized abortion under the 14th amendment of the Constitution. It established a precedent and gave the women the right to safe and legal abortions. As a result, abortions became one of the safest medical procedures in the United States, seeing as though it has a safety record of over 99%. -
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
Dr. David Gunn was shot and killed outside of his clinic by an protester. His death was the first known killing of an abortion provider in the United States so, as a result, Congress passed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE). This made it a federal crime to block access to abortions and other reproductive health care. -
Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination
Brett Kavanaugh was given a seat on the Supreme Court, which officially made the court have an anti-abortion majority. He was nominated by Trump, who had been promising to overturn Roe v. Wade and this Kavanaugh's nomination puts access to safe, legal abortions at risk. -
Alabama's New Legislation
A new Alabama Law was signed by Governor Kay Ivey that prohibits abortion in ever circumstance, including cases involving rape or incest. The only exception is in extreme circumstances when the fetus has "fatal anomalies" and/or is putting the health of the mother in serious jeopardy. This is now the most restrictive anti-abortion bill in the entire country and has the potential to set a dangerous precedent and undermine or overturn Roe v. Wade.