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BY VICTORIA GOUDREAULT

Roe v. Wade

Abortion Facts

1950: about 200,000-1,300,000 illegal abortions

Mothers not held accountable until after 1860-1880

No deaths/injuries: unsuccessful/not a crimeCould get legal abortion if qualified

Abortion Qualifications

To save mother’s lifeTo protect mother’s physical healthTo protect mother’s mental health

Reasons for Wanting Abortion

RapeNot enough moneyDid not want childrenSevere deformitiesSingle

Specific Abortion Laws

Ellenborough Law--passed 1803 in EnglandComstock Act--passed 1873 in U.S.

Edward Law, 1st Baron of Ellenborough

www.antique-prints.de

Anthony Comstockwww.smithsonianmag.com

Norma McCorvey

Norma McCorvey, 1990

http://history.salempress.com

• Was pregnant but couldn’t afford to have the baby

• No abortion options available

• Texas, 1973• Court name: Jane

Roe• Was forced to have

her baby• 21 when she

became pregnant

Sarah Weddington

Sarah Weddington, 1973www.weddingtoncenter.com

• Was a lawyer in the case

• Was 26 when she met McCorvey

• Had wanted to challenge abortion laws

• Had been looking for abortion plaintiff

• At 1st: reluctant to use McCorvey

• Had learned of McCorvey through Coffee

Linda Coffee

Linda Coffee, 1973www.pinterest.com

• Was a lawyer in the case

• Was 23 when she met McCorvey

• Had wanted to challenge abortion

• Had been searching for abortion plaintiff

• At 1st: reluctant to use McCorvey

• Had introduced Weddington to McCorvey

The Results

Abortion became legalAbout 1,600,000 women received legal

abortions (U.S. only)Mid-1990s: 1/5 population had abortion (15+)2006: over-the-counter emergency birth

control approved by FDA

Works Cited

Blackmun, Harry. "Roe v. Wade: The Full Text." Milestone Documents in American History. Ed. Finkelman Paul. 4 vols. Schlager Group, 2008. Salem History Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Dyer, Leigh. "Roe v. Wade: Document Analysis." Milestone Documents in American History. Ed. Finkelman Paul. 4 vols. Schlager Group, 2008. Salem History Web. 25 Nov. 2014.Faux, Marian. Roe v. Wade. New York: Macmillan, 1988. Print.