"Prior to 1821, abortions were generally accessible and were often performed by midwives, as well as doctors. ..........
This would be the only reason to go backward in time--prior to 1821--for women!!
Reproductive Rights in the US: Timeline
Since the early 1800s, U.S. federal and state governments have taken steps both securing and limiting access to contraception and abortion.
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Prior to 1821, abortions were generally accessible and were often performed
by midwives, as well as doctors...............
By: Lesley Kennedy
Updated: July 13, 2023 | Original: January 23, 2023
https://www.history.com/news/reproductive-rights-timeline
Protections and regulations around contraception and abortion have been subject to laws and legislation in the U.S. since the 1800s.
Prior to 1821, abortions were generally accessible and were often performed by midwives, as well as doctors. That changed as women’s reproductive rights in the United States became more contentious. A 1873 case established federal control over contraception distribution. By 1960, women's access to contraception broadened with FDA approval of "the Pill."
Below is a timeline of court cases and more, from the nation’s first statutory abortion regulation in 1821 to efforts to control the distribution and use of contraception, to the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.
19th Century - Bans on Abortion, Contraception
1821: The Connecticut General Assembly passes the first U.S. law banning medicinal abortion after the “quickening” stage (when fetal movement is detected, generally around the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy). Punishment is a life sentence for the provider of the poison administered to perform the procedure.
1857: Led by Horatio Storer, the American Medical Association campaigns to make abortion illegal in the United States. “We are the physical guardians of women,” the group’s 1859 report on “criminal abortion” stated. “The case is here of life or death—and it depends, almost wholly, upon ourselves.” By 1860, more than 20 states had criminalized the procedure.
1869: The Catholic Church’s Pope Pius IX declares abortions at any stage of pregnancy punishable by excommunication......................................................