The day Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, an estimated 5,000 women and men formed a

The day Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, an estimated 5,000 women and men formed a "ring of life" around the Minnesota Capitol building and marched in protest of the ruling. / The Associated Press

Nearly 44 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized getting an abortion with its Roe v. Wade decision. The battle over abortion rights goes back a long way in the United States, long before the landmark decision in 1973. There was a time in the 19th century when abortions during early pregnancy were legal according to common law. But by 1880, most states had passed anti-abortion laws. For a look back on the history of abortion, we talked with University of Illinois professor Leslie Reagan, author of the book “When Abortion Was a Crime.”


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