Roe v Wade was not about ending abortion; it was about ending women DYING from abortion.
There were NO LAWS AGAINST ABORTION ANYWHERE IN THE 13 ORIGINAL COLONIES/STATES; under governing Common Law, abortion was permitted until the point of “quckening” – the point at which the woman can overtly feel the movement of the fetus, usually well into the second trimester. Further, Common Law also mandated that, even in the case of illegal abortions (late term), the woman herself was immune from prosecution.
The first state to actually pass a law outlawing abortion was Connecticut, in 1821, followed by New York (1828) with a law that was subsequently modeled by many other states. By the end of the 19th century, abortion had been outlawed in all states.
By the mid 1960’s, opinions had begun to change in the United States, and some states began to restore the legal status that had existed in the time of the Founders. Even before Roe, 16 states had already legalized abortion, including the large population centers of New York and California (signed by then-governor Ronald Reagan). Let’s put this number in its actual historical context:
1966 – Abortion OUTLAWED in ALL States — 120 deaths that year from back-alley abortions
1972 – Abortion legal in 16 States — 39 deaths from all abortions that year
1980s – Abortion legal All States Legal 10 -20 total abortion deaths per year
Roe v. Wade was decided 7-2 — not even close — and written by Harry Blackmun, a REPUBLICAN appointee of Richard Nixon, citing personal liberty issues and the “intent of the Founders” since abortion had been legal in all 13 original states for almost 50 years, until Connecticut became the first to outlaw it in 1821.
An excellent site that analyzes the legal issues and provides a link to the actual text of the Roe v. Wade decision:http://emerald7tfb.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/legal-aspects-of-reproductive-rights/
Roe v Wade was not about ending abortion; it was about ending women DYING from abortion.
There were NO LAWS AGAINST ABORTION ANYWHERE IN THE 13 ORIGINAL COLONIES/STATES; under governing Common Law, abortion was permitted until the point of “quckening” – the point at which the woman can overtly feel the movement of the fetus, usually well into the second trimester. Further, Common Law also mandated that, even in the case of illegal abortions (late term), the woman herself was immune from prosecution.
The first state to actually pass a law outlawing abortion was Connecticut, in 1821, followed by New York (1828) with a law that was subsequently modeled by many other states. By the end of the 19th century, abortion had been outlawed in all states.
By the mid 1960’s, opinions had begun to change in the United States, and some states began to restore the legal status that had existed in the time of the Founders. Even before Roe, 16 states had already legalized abortion, including the large population centers of New York and California (signed by then-governor Ronald Reagan). Let’s put this number in its actual historical context:
1966 – Abortion OUTLAWED in ALL States — 120 deaths that year from back-alley abortions
1972 – Abortion legal in 16 States — 39 deaths from all abortions that year
1980s – Abortion legal All States Legal 10 -20 total abortion deaths per year
Roe v. Wade was decided 7-2 — not even close — and written by Harry Blackmun, a REPUBLICAN appointee of Richard Nixon, citing personal liberty issues and the “intent of the Founders” since abortion had been legal in all 13 original states for almost 50 years, until Connecticut became the first to outlaw it in 1821.
An excellent site that analyzes the legal issues and provides a link to the actual text of the Roe v. Wade decision:http://emerald7tfb.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/legal-aspects-of-reproductive-rights/