|
Search bills
with abortion keywords |
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| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1588 | First papal canon by Pope Sixtus V imposed ex-communication for all abortions. |
| 1591 | Pope Gregory XIV modified the canon law to except abortions of non-animated fetuses (less than 40 days) due in part to the enormous numbers of ex-communication indulgences the Pope had to do. |
| 1821 | Connecticut was the first to illegalize post-quickening abortion as a felony. |
| 1828-1850's | The illegalization of pre- and post-quickening abortion in NY and continues in successive states. |
| 1848 | Anti-slavery sentiments inspires women's rights movement: Seneca Falls Convention, Sufferagettes are born. |
| 1859 | American Medical Association strongly denounces abortion, as the "unwarrantable destruction of life." |
| 1869 | Pope Pius IX rescinds the 1591 ‘animation' exception. Induced abortion means ex-communication again. |
| 1872 | Slaughterhouse Cases (83 US 36). Equal Protection also applies to negroes and others ( but not women). |
| 1873 | Comstock Act defines contraceptives as obscene and illicit, making it a federal offense to disseminate birth control through the mail or across state lines. |
| 1883 | Margaret Sanger (Planned Parenthood founder) born into poor large immigrant Irish Catholic family. |
| 1905 | Lochner v. New York (198 US 45). The federal Equal Protection clause overides state law. |
| 1913 | Sanger publishes articles on birth control, flees to Europe to avoid Comstock prosecution. |
| 1914-1918 | World War I |
| 1916 | Sanger returns to U.S. and charges are dropped. She opens first birth control clinic and is arrested. |
| 1918 | Crane decision from Sanger's arrest, which allows women to use birth control for ‘therapeutic' purposes. |
| 1921 | Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) drafted by Alice Paul, and introduced into Congress every year since. |
| 1923 | Women finally get the right of sufferage (to vote). |
| 1923 | Meyer v. State of Nebraska (262 US 390). Allowed private schooling in non-english language. Parents should be able to raise their children as they see fit. |
| 1925 | Pierce v. Society of Sisters, (268 US 510). Allowed private schooling versus mandatory public schooling of children. Parents should be able to raise their children as they see fit. (private schools = social conservatives) |
| 1929 | ACLU defended Margaret Sanger's (Planned Parenthood) right to ‘publically' discuss contraception. |
| 1930's | The Great Depression (U.S.A.) |
| 1939-1945 | World War II |
| 1960 | Birth of the "Pill", estrogen 100-175 mcg and progestin 10 mcg developed by Dr. Pinkus/Planned Parenthood. |
| 1961 | Poe v. Ullman (367 US 497). Upheld a Connecticut prohibition against contraception. Doctor arrested for talking about and dispensing condoms. |
| 1964 | Civil Rights Act, gave enforcement to women and negroes' civil rights under the 14th Amendment. |
| 1965 | Griswold v. Connecticut (381 US 470). Cannot prohibit contraception. "Right of Privacy" was born and applied as a marital right, to have or not have children. |
| 1969 | Man on the moon. Pill reduced to 50 mcg estrogen. |
| 1971 | United States v. Vuitch (402US62). The ‘health exception' for abortion was not unconstitutionally vague as the ProLifers argued. Some states allowed abortion under health exceptions. |
| 1972 | ERA passes the Senate, but it dies when not enough States ratify. |
| 1972 | Eisenstadt v. Baird (405 US 438). Allowed un-married people to have the same rights to contraception as married couples. Justice Brennan's oft quoted opinion says: "If the right of privacy means anything, it is the right of the individual, married or single, to be free from unwarranted government intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear or beget a child." Eisenstadt at pg. 453. |
| 1973 | Roe v. Wade (410 US 113). Abortion allowed across all states. During the first trimester, no restrictions allowed. During the second trimester, only compelling maternal-health-interests may restrict abortions. During the third trimester only fetal-health-exception abortions allowed. |
| 1973 | Doe v. Bolton (410 US 179). Third trimester abortions okay under broad mental health exceptions. |
| 1974 | Low-dose pill, 35 mcg estrogen/0.5-1.0 mcg progestin available, what we use nowadays. |
| 1976 | Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth (428 US 52). Removed husband's consent for married women's abortion. |
| 1980 | Harris v. McRae (448 US 297). State does not have to pay for abortions. |
| 1986 | Thornburg v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (476US747). Illegal to force state anti-choice information upon woman to dissuade her from abortion. |
| 1986 | Bowers v. Hardwick (478US186) Privacy of home no protection against anti-sodomy law. Sodomy does not have a procreation-related right. |
| 1989 | Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (492US490). Eliminated trimester framework of RvW. State always has a compelling interest in fetal life throughout the pregnancy. State can impose some regulations. |
| 1990 | Hodgson v. Minnesota (497US417). Must allow minors to obtain abortion with either parental consent or a judicial by-pass. No absolute prohibitions. |
| 1992 | Planned Parenthood v. Casey (505 US 833). Future regulations could not impose an "Undue Burden". Wait-periods were enforced instead of abortion on-demand. Kansas goes to 8-hr waiting period. |
| 1997 | Kansas goes to 24-hour waiting period and requires pregnancy-continuation literature be dispensed. |
| 2000 | Carhart v. Stenberg (530 US 914). Partial Birth Abortion ban over-ruled, due to vagueness that would have "chilled" provision of even regular abortions. Pictures of D&X were used, but actual wording was vague. |
| 2003 | Lawrence v. Texas (02-102) over-turns Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) anti-sodomy case. Privacy rights in home override state law against consentual homosexual activity. |
| ...more stuff to be added... |
