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Abortion was illegal in nearly every U.S. state, except in cases where the mother’s life was at risk. These laws were often rooted in morality, paternalism, and efforts by the medical profession to control reproductive care. -
Margaret Sanger opens the first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, NY. Focused on contraception, the clinic plays a key role in access to abortion. -
Colorado reforms its abortion law to allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, or when pregnancy threatens the woman’s physical or mental health. -
In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that a woman’s right to choose abortion is protected by the Constitution under the right to privacy. It strikes down many state-level bans and creates a trimester-based framework for regulation. -
New York repeals its anti-abortion laws, allowing abortion up to 24 weeks, regardless of circumstance. Hawaii becomes the first state to legalize abortion at the woman’s request. -
Congress passes the Hyde Amendment, prohibiting Medicaid and other federal programs from covering abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life, creating long term access issues for low income women. -
The Supreme Court upholds Roe but allows states to impose restrictions as long as they don't place an undue burden on access. This opens the door to waiting periods, parental consent laws, and mandatory counseling. -
Texas enacts House Bill 2, requiring abortion providers to meet hospital-grade surgical standards and doctors to have admitting privileges. The law causes over half of Texas’s clinics to close. -
The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ending nearly 50 years of federal abortion rights. States are now free to ban or protect abortion as they choose, leading to a nationwide patchwork of laws. -
In 2025, the national divide on abortion access intensified due to diverging state laws, ongoing court challenges, and the lasting impacts of the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.