Timeline: Culture Wars Project: Abortion in the U.S

Oct 16, 1916

Planned Parenthood Founded

Margaret Sanger opens her first abortion clinic in 1916, which would be the first clinic to belong to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States. This was the fundamental step which opened the door for the largest national abortion provider in the United States to open up. When the doors of Planned Parenthood opened, it opened up the issue on a new level.

Jan 22, 1973

Roe v. Wade Decided

The Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade: "Clearly, therefore, the Court today is correct in holding that the right [abortion] asserted by Jane Roe is embraced within the personal liberty protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment." This legalized abortion nationwide, and became the infamous case the pro-life movement is now trying to get overturned.

Jan 22, 1973

Doe v. Bolton Decided

The Supreme Court ruled in Doe v. Bolton: "that the medical judgment [of abortion] may be exercised in the light of all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the wellbeing of the patient. All these factors may relate to health." This expanded abortion to allow for any reason a mother may give, instead of the traditional stance by pro-choice people who still believe the unborn are human, "Safe, Legal and Rare".

1979

Dr. Bernard Nathanson Becomes Pro-Life

Dr. Bernard Nathanson, an avid pro-choice advocate, changes his mind and becomes a pro-life advocate and releases his book, "Aborting America". Dr. Nathanson's transition gave the pro-life movement a great deal of credibility, and damaged the pro-choice reputation.

Jun 25, 1992

Roman Catholicism Officially Pro-Life

Pope John Paul II produced the Roman Catechism, which states in Part III, Section 2: "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception." This resulted in the Roman Catholic Church becoming the only denomination which was completely and one-hundred percent pro-life, and millions of Catholics around the world adopted the Pope's pro-life view.

Jun 29, 1992

Planned Parenthood v. Casey Decided

The Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe v. Wade nearly twenty years later. This was considered by some to be a blow to the pro-life movement, but was expected by others. Roe v. Wade still stood.

Jan 4, 2013

Hyde Amendment Re-Passed

Congress re-passed the Hyde Amendment, which blocked Medicaid funding to abortion facilities with exception to cases of rape and medical emergencies. This re-affirmed a compromise which had been standing for quite some time, however the tides of the culture war would result in the Hyde Amendment being viewed negatively by the pro-choice side, which would attempt to have it removed and allow abortions to be funded in all cases.

Jul 31, 2015

Center For Medical Progress Releases Undercover Footage, then gets sued

David Daleiden and others worked undercover to record videos of meetings with Planned Parenthood personnel in a project titled "Human Capital". After the release of the project to the public, the Center for Medical Progress was sued by the National Abortion Federation. The videos went viral, and resulted in national outrage at Planned Parenthood for selling aborted children's body parts. They are engaged in lawsuits to this day.

Mar 29, 2019

"Unplanned" Movie Released in United States

A movie based on true events and the testimony of Abby Johnson is released. It focuses on Abby Johnson's transition from a Planned Parenthood employee to a pro-life activist. The movie features an abortion scene, which produces the "Restricted" rating, and is banned from many movie theaters across Canada afterwards. This film was the first pro-life film to make a major splash since October Baby in 2011.

2020