Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Roe v. Wade
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Harry A. Blackmun A highly controversial issue
Quizzes
Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.
All-American History Quiz
Read Next
President Richard M. Nixon smiles and gives the victory sign as he boards the White House helicopter after his resignation on August 9, 1974 in Washington, D.C.
Timeline of the 1970s
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
Discover
Amendments 1-10 to the Constitution of the United States constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights on an American flag.
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
Internet http://www blue screen. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, media news television, crowd opinion protest, In the News 2009, breaking news
Who Invented the Internet?
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes
US Marines firing at Fallujah, Iraq, during the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq War.
Timeline of the 2000s
Aurochs. Bos primigenius. Skeleton. Extinct animal. Skeleton of an Aurochs, an extinct wild ox.
6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction
Ethel Rosenberg arrested in August 1950. Photograph dated Aug. 8, 1950. American civilians executed for espionage. Spies, communists, Julius Rosenberg
Spies Like Us: 10 Famous Names in the Espionage Game

Roe v. Wade: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Roe-v-Wade
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

White House says Trump is reviewing IVF policy recommendations promised in executive order • May 20, 2025, 2:06 PM ET (AP)
Hospital tells family brain-dead Georgia woman must carry fetus to birth because of abortion ban • May 16, 2025, 5:48 AM ET (AP)
Late abortions are rare. The US just lost a clinic that offered the procedure for over 50 years • May 11, 2025, 9:00 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Date 1973 - 2022
Location United States

Did You Know?

  • Although by the early 1900s all U.S. states had outlawed abortion, these bans were rarely enforced until the late 1930s.
  • Texas law before Roe v. Wade prohibited abortion unless the mother's life was at stake.
  • Abortion restrictions were lifted in California and New York long before Roe v. Wade.
  • Abortion was not only legal but also not widely considered immoral in the 1700s and the early to mid-1800s in the United States. Only in the late 1800s did doctors and the Roman Catholic Church take a stand against it.
  • Griswold v. State of Connecticut, a case from 1965 that established the right to privacy when medical procedures were involved, served as a legal precedent for Roe v. Wade.

Photos

Harry A. Blackmun
A highly controversial issue
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

Harry A. Blackmun
Harry A. Blackmun
United States jurist
The real “Roe”
Norma McCorvey
American activist
Sarah Weddington
Sarah Weddington
American lawyer

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.
All-American History Quiz