A Concise History of the U.S. Abortion Debate

In the almost 50 years since Roe v. Wade, the debate over abortion has pervaded politics in the U.S.

While many 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 at more than a century before Roe v. Wade.