Before Roe v. Wade: voices that shaped the abortion debate before the Supreme Court's ruling

Part I. Reform, repeal, religion and reaction

[Section 1.1.] Reform

Letter to the Society for Humane Abortion (1965)

"Rush" procedure for going to Japan

The lesser of two evils / by Sherri Chesen Finkbine (1966)

Abortion: the law and the reality in 1970 / by Jane E. Hodgwon

Dr. Hodgson's affidavit

Statement of Dr. Hodgson's patient

Illegal abortion as a public health problem / by Mary Steichen Calderone (1959)

American Law Institute abortion policy (1962)

American Medical Association policy statements (1967 and 1970)

Clergy statement on abortion law reform and consultation service on abortion (1967)

Abortion law reform in the United States / by Jimmye Kimmey (1969)

"Right to choose" memorandum / by Jimmye Kimmey (1972)

[Section 1.2.] Repeal

National Organization for Women bill of rights (1967)

Abortion: a woman's civil liberty / by Betty Friedan (1969)

NARAL policy statement

Call to women's strike for equality / by Betty Friedan (August 26, 1970)

Speak-Out-Rage (1972)

Feminist as anti-abortionist / by Sidney Callahan (1972)

Black women's manifesto; double jeopardy: to be black and female / by Frances Beal (1969)

Black women and the motherhood myth / by Bev Cole (1971)

Zero Population Growth (1968)

A sex counseling service for college students / by Philip M. Sarrel and Lorna J. Sarrel (1970)

Sex and the Yale student / by the Student Committee on Human Sexuality (1970)

[Section 1.3.] Religion

Union for Reform Judaism, 49th General Assembly, Montreal, Quebec (November 1967)

United Methodist Church statement of social principles (1972)

Southern Baptist Convention resolution on abortion (1971)

National Association of Evangelicals statement on abortion (1971)

Humanae vitae / encyclical letter of the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI (July 29, 1968)

Human life in our day: pastoral letter by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (November 15, 1968)

[Section 1.4.] Reaction

New Jersey Catholic Bishops' letter (1970)

Abortion in perspective / by Robert M. Byrn (1966)

Abortion and social justice / Americans United for Life (1972)

Similarly I will not cause abortion / by Robert D. Knapp (1970)

New Jersey Assembly testimony (April 9, 1970)

Handbook on abortion / by J.C. Willke and Barbara Willke (1971)

Abortion makes strange bedfellows: GOP and GOD / by Lawrence T. King (1970)

Part II. Conflict constitutionalized: the years before Roe

Abortion law reform and repeal: legislative and judicial developments / by Ruth Roemer (March 1971)

[Section 1.2.] Legislation: New York

Everywoman's abortions: "the oppressor is man" / by Susan Brownmiller (March 27, 1969)

Constitutional question: is there a right to abortion? / by Linda Greenhouse (January 25, 1970)

Plaintiff's brief, Abramowicz v. Lefkowitz / by Nancy Stearns ... [et al.] (March 9, 1970)

Memorandum of Assemblywoman Constance E. Cook (1970)

Plaintiff-appellant's brief, Byrn v. New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation (June 2, 1972)

Letter from President Richard Nixon to Terence Cardinal Cooke (May 16, 1972)

Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's veto message (May 13, 1972)

The city politic: the case of the missing abortion lobbyists / by Hope Spencer (May 29, 1972)

[Section 2.2.] Litigation: Connecticut

Women vs. Connecticut: "some thoughts on strategy" (ca. February 1970)

Women vs. Connecticut organizing pamphlet (ca. November 1970)

Memorandum of decision, Abele v. Markle I (April 18, 1972)

Connecticut legislative hearing testimony (May 19, 1972)

Memorandum of decision, Abele v. Markle II (September 20, 1972)

[Section 2.3.] Crosscurrents in the national arena, 1972

Plaintiff's brief, Struck v. Secretary of Defense (December 4, 1972)

Rockefeller Commission report (1972)

Abortion seen up to woman, doctor / by George Gallup (1972)

Statement about the report of the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future / by Richard M. Nixon (May 5, 1972)

Swing to the right seen among Catholics, Jews / by Louis Cassels (August 5, 1972)

Assault book / by Patrick Buchanan

Women's libbers do not speak for us / from the Phyllis Schlafly Report (February 1972)

Part III. Speaking to the Court

Roe v. Wade in context

A changing landscape

Argument and decision

Brief for appellants Jane Roe et al.

Brief for appellee Henry Wade, District Attorney of Dallas County, Texas

Announcing the decision: No. 70-18, Roe v. Wade; No. 70-40, Doe v. Bolton (January 22, 1973)

Appendix. Briefs filed by "friends of the court"

Amicus curiae brief in support of Jane Roe / American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ... [et al.]

Amicus curiae brief in support of Jane Roe / National Leal Program on Health Problems of the Poor, National Welfare Rights Organization, and American Public Health Association

Amicus curiae brief in support of Jane Roe / New Women Lawyers, Women's Health and Abortion Project, Inc., and National Abortion Action Coalition

Amicus curiae brief in support of Jane Roe / Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. and American Association of Planned Parenthood Physicians

Amicus curiae in support of Jane Roe / American Ethical Union ... [et al.]

Amicus curiae brief in support of Jane Roe / California Committee to Legalize Abortion ... [et al.]

Amicus curiae brief in support of Henry Wade / Americans United for Life

Amicus curiae brief in support of Henry Wade / certain physicians, professors and fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Amicus curiae brief in support of Henry Wade / National Right to Life Committee

Amicus curiae brief in support of Henry Wade / Women for the Unborn.