The Abortion Controversy: A Documentary History

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This collection brings together for the first time the key primary documents in the history of the abortion controversy in the United States. Organized by historical period, these 92 documents tell the story of this highly charged issue. An explanatory introduction geared to the needs of high school and college students accompanies each document. The collection emphasizes the political and social aspects of the debate, and many voices and conflicting views resound--in congressional hearings, Supreme Court decisions, government reports, party platforms, position papers, statutes, biographical accounts, and news stories. The heart of the work is the drama of Roe v. Wade--the cases that led to it, the Supreme Court decision and dissenting opinions, the reaction in Congress, public opinion, political consequences, and the most recent court tests. The work is divided into five sections: Part I covers the historical period from its European inception until the beginning of the reform movement in the United States in the 1960s. Part II looks at the developments in 1960-1972 that led to the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Part III focuses on Roe v. Wade and the reaction to the decision. Part IV, The Battlelines Are Drawn, 1974-1980, describes the political battles over abortion in the 1970s. Part V includes documents from the Reagan/Bush administrations and ends with the beginning of the Clinton administration in 1993. Each chapter includes a list of suggested readings. The book concludes with a chronology of events in the abortion controversy and a list of decisions of the United States Supreme Court relating to abortion. The collection will be especially useful for high school, junior college, and college students, and for public libraries.

Reviews

[A] valuable contribution to a more nuanced and thorough understanding of the long and troubled debate over the proper role of government in regulating sexual behavior in the U.S.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
The volume presents excellent overviews and summaries of court cases, major issues and movements for and against abortion, documents related to a Human Life Amendment and other proposed legislation, and summary of national party platforms on the issues, documents, and recent issues and problems, such as abortion clinic violence and public opinion polls showing support for legal abortion. A valuable resource on the subject. Recommended.-Reference Book Review
This collection of documents has the potential to be very useful in helping students to make sense of an extremely complex contemporary issue. It is so comprehensive, convenient, thought-provoking, and representative of the many sides involved in this controversey, that I highly recommend that this book be ordered by any high school or university library as a ready reference. You might even want one on your shelf.-Transformation
This is an excellent purchase. It is structured with high school and college students' research needs in mind....Highly recommended.-The Book Report
"A valuable contribution to a more nuanced and thorough understanding of the long and troubled debate over the proper role of government in regulating sexual behavior in the U.S."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"[A] valuable contribution to a more nuanced and thorough understanding of the long and troubled debate over the proper role of government in regulating sexual behavior in the U.S."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"This collection of documents has the potential to be very useful in helping students to make sense of an extremely complex contemporary issue. It is so comprehensive, convenient, thought-provoking, and representative of the many sides involved in this controversey, that I highly recommend that this book be ordered by any high school or university library as a ready reference. You might even want one on your shelf."-Transformation
"This is an excellent purchase. It is structured with high school and college students' research needs in mind....Highly recommended."-The Book Report
"The volume presents excellent overviews and summaries of court cases, major issues and movements for and against abortion, documents related to a Human Life Amendment and other proposed legislation, and summary of national party platforms on the issues, documents, and recent issues and problems, such as abortion clinic violence and public opinion polls showing support for legal abortion. A valuable resource on the subject. Recommended."-Reference Book Review

Author Bio

EVA R. RUBIN is Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at North Carolina State University. She is the author of Abortion, Politics and the Courts (Greenwood Press, 1987, rev. edition) and The Supreme Court and the American Family (Greenwood Press, 1986).