Opinion: Abortion has been common in the U.S. since the 18th century – and debate over it started soon after

Photographs of ultrasound of pregnancy at 4 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy Selective focus.
abortion tile fetus baby / Getty Images — Photographs of ultrasound of pregnancy at 4 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy Selective focus. abortion tile fetus baby / Getty Images Photographs of ultrasound of pregnancy at 4 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy Selective focus. abortion tile fetus baby / Getty Images

By Treva Lindsey / The Conversation via The Associated Press May 14, 2022 6 min read

State-by-state battles are heating up in the wake of news that the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to overrule landmark rulings – Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey – and remove constitutional protection for the right to get an abortion.

Now, pro- and anti-abortion advocates are gearing up for a new phase of the abortion conflict.

While many people may think that the political arguments over abortion now are fresh and new, scholars of women’s, medical and legal history note that this debate has a long history in the U.S.

It began more than a century before Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established that the Constitution protects a person’s right to an abortion.

The era of ‘The Pill’