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Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States generally protected a right to have an abortion.
- Abortion Before Roe v. Wade
- Jane Roe
- Henry Wade
- Supreme Court Ruling
- Legacy of Roe v. Wade
- Roe v. Wade Overturned
- Sources
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Until the late 19th century, abortion was legal in the United States before “quickening,” the point at which a woman could first feel movements of the fetus, typically around the fourth month of pregnancy. Some of the early regulations related to abortion were enacted in the 1820s and 1830s and dealt with the sale of dangerous drugs that women used...
In 1969, Norma McCorvey, a Texaswoman in her early 20s, sought to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. McCorvey, who had grown up in difficult, impoverished circumstances, previously had given birth twice and given up both children for adoption. At the time of McCorvey’s pregnancy in 1969 abortion was legal in Texas—but only for the purpose of saving a...
In 1970, the attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of McCorvey and all the other women “who were or might become pregnant and want to consider all options,” against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, where McCorvey lived. Earlier, in 1964, Wade was in the national spotlight when he prosecuted Jack Ruby, who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, ...
In June 1970, a Texas district court ruled that the state’s abortion ban was illegal because it violated a constitutional right to privacy. Afterward, Wade declared he’d continue to prosecute doctors who performed abortions. The case eventually was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, McCovey gave birth and put the child up for adoption. ...
Norma McCorvey maintained a low profile following the court’s decision, but in the 1980s she was active in the abortion rights movement. However, in the mid-1990s, after becoming friends with the head of an anti-abortion group and converting to Catholicism, she turned into a vocal opponent of the procedure. Since Roe v. Wade, many states imposed re...
In 2022, the nation's highest court deliberated on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which regarded the constitutionality of a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Lower courts had ruled the law was unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. Under Roe, states had been prohibited from banning abortions before arou...
Abortion in American History. The Atlantic. High Court Rules Abortion Legal in First 3 Months. The New York Times. Norma McCorvey. The Washington Post. Sarah Weddington. Time. When Abortion Was a Crime, Leslie J. Reagan. University of California Press.
Learn about the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion in the U.S. and the challenges it faced over the years. Find out who was Jane Roe, Henry Wade and how the case was overturned in 2022.
Videos - Roe v. Wade
Trump touts role in overturning Roe v. Wade, Biden to meet with families of slain officers
CBS News Videos4 weeks agoFormer President Donald Trump was in Wisconsin and Michigan Wednesday where he hyped up his part in overturning Roe v. Wade and defended his policy of letting states make their own abortion laws. On the Democratic side, President Biden is heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, to meet with the families of the law enforcement officers killed in a shootout this week. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has more on the campaigns.
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- 4:08Trump touts role in overturning Roe v. Wade, Biden to meet with families of slain officersCBS News VideosFormer President Donald Trump was in Wisconsin and Michigan Wednesday where he hyped up his part in overturning Roe v. Wade and defended his policy of letting states make their own abortion laws. On the Democratic side, President Biden is heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, to meet with the families of the law enforcement officers killed in a shootout this week. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has more on the campaigns.4 weeks ago
- 2:32Donald Trump rallies supporters in crucial battleground statesCBS News VideosFor the first time since his New York criminal trial got underway, former President Donald Trump returned to campaigning on Wednesday, this time in Michigan and Wisconsin, which are two crucial battleground states in the 2024 election. On the campaign trail, he highlighted his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, and emphasized his opinion that abortion should be left to the states. Trump will be in court Thursday as his criminal trial resumes.4 weeks ago
- 1:53Supreme Court considers when doctors can provide emergency abortions in states with strict bansAssociated Press VideosConservative Supreme Court justices appear skeptical that state abortion bans enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade violate federal health care law, though some also are questioning the effects on emergency care for pregnant patients.1 month ago
- 0:49Dueling protests outside U.S. Supreme Court, which was considering emergency abortion issueAssociated Press VideosDueling protests were taking place outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington. The court was hearing arguments Wednesday over whether state abortion bans enacted after its sweeping ruling overturning Roe v. Wade can extend to medical emergencies. (AP video: Rick Gentilo, Dan Huff)1 month ago
- 4:17Supreme Court hearing Idaho abortion access caseCBS News VideosTwo years after overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court is hearing a high-profile abortion case Wednesday involving Idaho's near-total abortion ban. The Biden administration is challenging the Idaho law with a creative legal argument, saying it conflicts with an existing federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care for pregnant women, even if it means performing an abortion to save the mother's life. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford is at the Supreme Court with more.1 month ago
- 2:24Supreme Court to hear arguments on dispute over Idaho abortion banCBS News VideosLess than two years after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court is set to hear a high profile case Wednesday on Idaho’s near-total abortion ban that some doctors say is putting pregnant women at risk.1 month ago
- 1:28Supreme Court hears case surrounding Idaho abortion banABC News VideosThis is the first time the Supreme Court is considering the scope of a state’s abortion ban since overturning Roe v. Wade.1 month ago
- 2:19Arizona Republicans uphold 1864 abortion banReuters VideosSTORY: On Wednesday, Democrats in the Arizona state House failed to repeal a controversial ban on abortion that dates back to 1864 after they couldn’t muster Republican support. UPSOT: 1.State Rep. Travis Grantham, Arizona House Of Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore and Republican, Saying (Speaking Over Board Showing Votes): “The motion to overrule my ruling fails.” Meaning the Civil War-era measure is poised to become state law once again. The law imposes a prison sentence of two to five years for anyone found guilty of inducing an abortion except for a doctor who deems it necessary to save the life of the mother. After a series of votes the chamber was deadlocked at 30 to 30 with only one Republican joining the 29 democrats. State representative and Democrat Alma Hernandez said the world is watching: “There are so many people who are watching right now and watching what Arizona is doing. The fact that we will not even entertain a motion to allow those who have been raped or pregnant by incest to be able to have an abortion, is extremely, extremely disappointing.” The old law was revived by a state Supreme Court Ruling on April 9, and unless the legislature intervenes it could take effect in less than two months. Democrats have made clear their intention to put abortion front and center in November’s election, two years after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and ruled that abortion was not constitutionally protected. Opposing abortion is seen as sacrosanct to many Republican voters, including Republican State representative and Speaker Ben Toma: “I understand that we have deeply held beliefs. And I would ask everyone in this chamber to respect the fact that some of us who believe that abortion is, in fact, the murder of children.” However, repealing the 1864 law would still leave in place a law passed by state Republicans in 2022 which bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Arizona Democrats are also attempting to add ballot measures before voters in November that would restore their abortion rights.1 month ago
- 2:39Arizona abortion law faces criticismCBS News VideosBoth Democrats and Republicans are criticizing a Civil War-era abortion ban that's set to take effect after Arizona's Supreme Court ruled the statute could be enforced. President Biden has vowed to restore Roe v. Wade if reelected, while former President Trump said the Arizona law goes too far. Nancy Cordes has the latest.2 months ago
- 3:38Trump says Arizona abortion ban went too farABC News VideosFormer President Donald Trump appointed three of the justices who voted in 2022 to overrule Roe v. Wade's national guarantees to abortion access.2 months ago
4 days ago · Roe v. Wade, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, ruled (7–2) that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. The Court held that a set of Texas statutes criminalizing abortion in most instances violated a constitutional right to privacy.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the landmark case that legalized abortion in the US, decided by the Burger Court in 1973. Find out the facts, arguments, opinions, and outcome of Roe v. Wade, and how it balanced the right to privacy and the state's interests.
The Supreme Court case that recognized a woman's right to an abortion prior to the viability of the fetus. Learn about the decision, the trimester framework, the dissents, and the post-Roe developments in abortion law.
The landmark case that recognized a woman's right to choose an abortion under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Read the majority and dissenting opinions, the summary, and the excerpts of the decision.
Learn about the landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 and was overruled in 2022. Find case summaries, background information, vocabulary, and activities for students.