Unspoken: Healthcare Before Roe
In May, news leaked of a draft Supreme Court decision regarding a Mississippi ban on abortion. As written, the opinion seeks to overturn two landmark Supreme Court cases regarding women's healthcare rights: Planned Parenthood v Casey and Roe v Wade.
As the opinion hit the news, I received several requests to cover the topic of abortion in the United States. As I mention in the episode, I think the topic is too nuanced and far reaching to cover adequately in one episode. However, I felt it was an important moment in history to discuss and was lucky enough to connect with a longtime listener of the show who grew up in the era before Roe.
So this week, with JoAnn's help, I am sharing the history of accessing reproductive healthcare before Roe. In this episode, JoAnn shares her memories about what it was like for women and young girls who required assistance in the years before Roe and what it was like for her to access reproductive healthcare in California.
SOURCES
Acevedo Z. Abortion in early America. Women Health. 1979 Summer;4(2):159-67. doi: 10.1300/J013v04n02_05. PMID: 10297561. (LINK)
Baker, Carrie N. “The History of Abortion Law in the United States.” September 14, 2020. Our Bodies, Ourselves. (LINK)
Gutierrez-Romine, Alicia. From Back Alley to the Border: Criminal Abortion in California, 1920-1969. United States: University of Nebraska, 2020.
Holland, Jennifer L. “Abolishing Abortion: The History of the Pro-Life Movement in America.” Organization of American Historians. 2016. (LINK)
Ozug, Matt, Sarah Handel, Ailsa Chang and Patrick Jarenwattananon. “Inside Pat Maginnis’ radical tactics on abortion rights in the 1960s.” NPR. May 5, 2022. (LINK)
Listen On
Listener Favorites
Not sure where to begin? Take a listen to some fan favorites.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
During his eight years as president of the United States, Andrew Jackson passed one major piece of legislation: the Indian Removal Act of 1830. A bill set up to allow negotiations between the federal government and tribal nations for land …
The Massachusetts 54th
Depicted in the 1989 Hollywood feature film "Glory" the Massachusetts 54th was the first all black regiment to fight in the Civil War. Established in the aftermath of the Emancipation Proclamation, the members serving in the regiment had much riding …
Mary Todd Lincoln: Part One
The wife of 16th President Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln is generally known for her eccentric personality. However, there is so much more sitting beneath the surface. Join me this week as I begin the life and times of Mary …