The Abortion Laws Of Abortion Essay

The United States did not have set laws for abortion until the 1800’s, but they did follow the guidelines for abortion in England. England allowed abortions as long as quickening had not yet occurred, which means the mother had not yet felt movement from the fetus inside of her. In the 1880’s the United States criminalized abortion, which stayed intact until the 1960’s. Many women’s rights organizations began to reform the laws of abortion. Between the 1960’s and 1970’s, one-third of the states liberalized or revoked their criminal abortion laws. It wasn’t until 1973 when women were given the right to abortion (Abortion History in the U.S. - Find Law).
Roe versus Wade was a Supreme Court case that declared abortion as legal and established guidelines for the states. A 21-year-old pregnant women, Jane Roe, represented all women who desired an abortion but were unable to receive one legally and safely. The Texas Attorney General, Henry Wade, defended the law against abortions. After taking the case to the Supreme Court it was ruled that all Americans’ have the right to privacy, which includes a women’s right to an abortion without state interference (History of Abortion – National Abortion Federation).
Since the ruling of Roe versus Wade, many laws and guidelines have been created to help ensure the safety of abortions. In 2007, the Supreme Court advocated a nationwide ban on a late form of abortion, partial birth abortion (Abortion History in the U.S. - Find Law). Although…