Roe v. Wade is one of the most influential Supreme Court cases in United States history. From abortion access to birth control, it enlightened a new experience of healthcare for women. Throughout the semester, I will be discussing Roe v. Wade, what it meant for America, and how detrimental it was to reverse the ruling.
On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protected Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, or the women’s right to have an abortion.
The plaintiff was Jane Roe, which was a pseudonym for Norma McCorvey. McCorvey was onto her third pregnancy at the age of 22, already divorced, had given up two children for adoption, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. She was not interested in becoming a plaintiff in a case, she just wanted to get an abortion. However, in Texas, where McCorvey lived at the time, abortion was illegal unless the mother’s life was endangered by carrying to full term. Regardless, lawyers Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee were determined to ensure McCorvey’s right to bodily autonomy.
The defendant, Henry Wade, was an American attorney and served as the district attorney of Dallas County from 1951 to 1987. At the time, Wade was upholding Texas’ criminal statute that prohibited doctors to perform abortion.
Dallas Country District Attorney Henry Wade
The case was argued December 13, 1971, reargued on October 11, 1972, and the decision was made on January 22, 1973. In that time period, McCorvey gave birth to a girl who was given up for adoption. When the ruling came back, the courts favored the side of Roe, stating that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides a right to privacy, which ultimately protects a woman’s right to abortion. The vote for Roe was 7-2, with the supporting justices being Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, and six associate justices: William O. Douglas, William J. Brennan Jr., Potter Stewart, Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun, and Lewis F. Powell Jr. The dissenting justices were Byron White and William Rehnquist.
Most recently, on June 28, 2022, there was a 5-4 vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, with the five justices being Samuel A. Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil M. Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett. Fifty years later, the constitutional right to abortion has been taken away from all American women. So, what does this mean for American women? Why did Norma McCorvey become pro-life? Was Henry Wade really against abortions?
Find out more on Us and Roe.
This blog is so so so interesting, because it is something very relevant to society today, especially women. It’s crazy to think we are going back to “old ways” or in this case, Wade. This overturn has already affected so many and will continue to do so, but hopefully one day Roe vs. Wade will not be a question anymore. I can’t wait to read more about Roe vs. Wade and your opinions on it.
Roe v. Wade has become such a hot topic lately, and there is no question why. I am really curious to hear more about Norma McCorvey, and why she became pro-life. I will definitely be tuning in for future posts because I haven’t spent the time to learn about it myself.
I loved the ‘suspenseful’ ending! Makes me excited for more of your blogging series. Overall, I love your topic. I think it is so important and relevant to talk about Roe v. Wade. I had to do a research project in high school on this case, so I knew most of these facts. However, I know so many people that do not know anything about it, except that it is about abortion. I am glad you are raising awareness and understanding of this court case because it is so important for women today. I think everyone should have a basic understanding of this case.
Although we’ve all heard of the case Roe v Wade numerous times, I never really knew much about the background of the case, and find this explanation very intriguing! Thanks for providing such detail on how the right to abortions in the US came about – especially since it’s recently been revoked to a certain extent. It’s absolutely wild to think that after such a long and hard fight in the Supreme Court, the ruling could just be turned over so quickly. I look forward to learning more about Roe v Wade throughout the rest of your blog, especially how it now applies to modern-day society!