Title: Roe v. Wade: Decision, Summary & Background - HISTORY
Headings: Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Contents
Abortion Before Roe v. Wade
Jane Roe
Henry Wade
Supreme Court Ruling
Legacy of Roe v. Wade
Sources
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Content: Roe v. Wade: Decision, Summary & Background - HISTORY
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Updated: May 15, 2019
Original: Mar 27, 2018
Roe v. Wade
Author: History.com Editors
Contents
Abortion Before Roe v. Wade
Jane Roe
Henry Wade
Supreme Court Ruling
Legacy of Roe v. Wade
Sources
Roe v. Wade was a landmark legal decision issued on January 22, 1973, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion, effectively legalizing the procedure across the United States. The court held that a woman’s right to an abortion was implicit in the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion had been illegal throughout much of the country since the late 19th century. Roe v. Wade has proved controversial, and Americans remain divided in their support for a woman’s right to choose an abortion. Since the 1973 ruling, many states have imposed restrictions on abortion rights. Abortion Before Roe v. Wade
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.