The Legalization of Abortion in the United States: A Historical Analysis (1968-1973)

This work will explore the long and tedious process of abortion legalization in the United States. Starting from its 19th century criminalization and closing with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022), the first two chapters will make use of the vast pool of 20th century case law regarding reproductive health (e.g. forced sterilization, birth control and premarital sex legalization, pregnancy discrimination and -of course- criminal abortion) to chronicle the rise (Roe) and fall (Dobbs) of abortion legalization in the United States. The third and final chapter will be built around the analysis of 387 New York Times articles on the topic of abortion published between January 1, 1968 and December 31, 1973. Of these 387 pieces, the chapter will reference a total of 98 in order to delineate the abortion discourse in New York State through the eyes of print media.