Ad
|
A Long and Bitter Past
The debate over abortion is not new in the United States. In fact, its roots go back to the very early years of our Republic.
Laws restricting abortion practices began being enacted in the early 1800s. By the end of the 19th century, largely due to the efforts of the American Medical Association and other concerned citizens, abortion was a criminal offense in most cases around the country.
The debate was not over, however. By the mid-20th century, increasingly strong voices called for the loosening of abortion laws. In a number of states, government officials began acting to decriminalize abortions in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the physical or mental health of the mother or prenatal child. At the same time, those who opposed abortion on moral grounds continued to grow more organized and vocal.
On January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court issued its rulings in the cases of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton that overturned remaining state laws criminalizing abortion and, in effect, legalized abortion on demand nationally.
These decisions, far from leading to a conclusion to this debate, energized and emboldened passionate activists for and against abortion. On January 22, 1974 the first annual March for Life was held in Washington, D.C. in opposition to the Roe decision. Other marches, rallies, and campaigns for and against the legality of abortion have since grown in strength and numbers. Moreover, "pro-choice" and "pro-life" have become labels of significance and identity in the political sphere.
Restrictions on abortion have since been added at the state and federal level. For example, the Hyde Amendment was first adopted in 1976 to prevent federal taxpayer money from subsidizing abortions. Also, in 2003, the Partial Birth Abortion Act was enacted to forbid certain abortion procedures later in a pregnancy. However, government has, at times, also sanctioned increased access to abortion (e.g., the US Food and Drug Administration approved the RU-486 abortion pill in 2000).
Leading up to the present day, abortion has continued as one of the most controversial public policy issues in American society.
|
|
