Roe v. Wade: Quick Facts
News •
Abortion Laws Across the Country: Tracking Bans and Protections by State
• Nov. 9, 2026, 3:31 PM ET (New York Times)
Facts
| Date | 1973 - 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
Did You Know?
- Although by the early 1900s all U.S. states had outlawed abortion, these bans were rarely enforced until the late 1930s.
- Texas law before Roe v. Wade prohibited abortion unless the mother's life was at stake.
- Abortion restrictions were lifted in California and New York long before Roe v. Wade.
- Abortion was not only legal but also not widely considered immoral in the 1700s and the early to mid-1800s in the United States. Only in the late 1800s did doctors and the Roman Catholic Church take a stand against it.
- Griswold v. State of Connecticut, a case from 1965 that established the right to privacy when medical procedures were involved, served as a legal precedent for Roe v. Wade.
Photos
Related Topics and References
Topics
Key People
Harry A. Blackmun
United States jurist
Norma McCorvey
American activist
Sarah Weddington
American lawyer
