In 1970, a woman, Norma McCorvey, had become pregnant …show more content…
Wade decision, both pro-choice and pro-life politicians rushed to pass legislation benefiting their specific cause. A majority of state legislators wanted abortion restrictions, and it was only in minority states such as New York that government officials fought to make abortion more accessible. The two sides finally defined what they were fighting for: the pro-choice movement was fighting to preserve the already law of Roe v. Wade while the pro-life movement was challenging it. States such as Pennsylvania, that passed four Abortion Control Acts, setting restrictions which included a physician consultation, spousal consent, and the consent of a parent or legal guardian if the patient was under the age of eighteen. Pennsylvania was not alone in this as Missouri passed an act almost identical to that of Pennsylvania. Legislators across the country were moving to restrict abortion as they felt an obligation to preserve the pro-life nature of their respective states. However, many of these restrictions were struck down by the Supreme Court, including the statutes requiring parental and spousal consent as it was determined those restrictions were violations of the woman’s right to privacy. This trend of state restrictions being passed and judicial review striking them down continued throughout the Twentieth Century and on into the Twenty-First …show more content…
Wade just affected abortion rates and the legality of abortion. The decision in Roe v. Wade had a profound impact on the social and political climates of the day as it questioned the viability of life and when life actually begins. It insinuated ideas about the Constitution’s application to daily life that had never been previously explored. For the first time, a clear divided had spread across the United States between those who supported the decision and those who wanted to nullify it. The topic of abortion was then a debate topic for the masses and not just legislators. Politicians, whether they supported abortion or not, followed the wills of their constituents in order to appease the social upheaval. This divide spread to all sects of society, including religion. The Catholic Church adopted a strong opposition to abortion, even going so far as to fund counter initiatives and write letters to parishes in states considering lifting abortion restrictions, while some Protestant groups were actually fighting to create more accessible abortion atmospheres. This political divide ran deep through America and would raise question still trying to be answered