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Throughline · June 25, 2022 · 55m
The Fall of Roe
Throughline
The history of abortion in America from colonial era to the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. The hosts trace how a medical procedure that was legal and common for most of American history became the most divisive issue in American politics.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Highlights
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Abortion was legal in America for most of its history — criminalization is the historical anomaly
The hosts trace how abortion before 'quickening' (fetal movement, ~16 weeks) was legal in colonial America and remained so until state campaigns in the mid-1800s. The current fight is over restoring a prohibition, not maintaining one.•
Political movements form around court decisions — Roe created the very opposition that ultimately overturned it
The hosts argue that Roe v. Wade didn't just legalize abortion — it created the political movement that spent 50 years organizing to overturn it. The decision created its own opposition.Was this useful?