| By Gale Staff |
一个fter the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would overturn the landmarkRoe v. Waderuling, it sent shockwaves across the country; after almost half a century, Americans’ constitutional right to get an abortion had been struck down. Protestseruptedin cities and towns across the United States, where reproductive rights advocates voicedconcernover the far-reaching consequences of the jarring reversal, as pro-life advocatesjoined demonstrationsto celebrate the decision.
Where is abortion still legal? How will the decision impact access to reproductive health care? How are individual states responding? Could this impact other rulings?
Instead of avoiding the conversation, educators can take this as an opportunity to help students understand the historical context and significance behindRoe v. Wadeand the fight for reproductive rights—as well as the consequences of overturning it.
Through digital databases and archives, educators and students can access primary and secondary sources that provide additional insight into the past and present of abortion and reproductive rights in the United States. Here’s how:
Connecting past to present
To understand the significance of overturningRoe v. Wade, students must first consider the long history and evolution of reproductive rights, abortion, and birth control in the United States.
Educators can reference primary sources—such as court testimonies, academic journal entries, court briefings, and newspaper articles—to create a timeline that connects past to present.
- Gale In Context: High Schoolincludes digital portals forRoe v. Wadeand一个bortion, which contain a curated collection of related primary and secondary sources for teachers and students.
- To examine the history of reproductive health services, birth control, and contraceptives, educators and students can reference thePlanned Parenthood & Birth Control Historycollections, available in Gale’sWomen’s Studies Archive.
- Drawing from the records of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),The Making of Modern Lawseries contains notable primary sources related toabortionandbirth controlin the United States.
- The Making of Modern Lawseries also contains a comprehensive collection of records and briefs brought before the U.S. Supreme Court related to abortion, includingRoe v. Wade,Friendship Medical Center v. Chicago Board of Health,Doe v. Bolton, andUnited States v. Vuitch.
一个nalyzing multiple perspectives
To set the stage for a productive, respectful discussion, educators can use primary sources orGale In Context: Opposing Viewpointsto help students understand theviewpointsheld by pro-life and pro-choice activists, and how tactics employed by antiabortion groups in years pastcontributed tothe reversal.
Pamphlets, booklets, newspaper articles, and other ephemera provide valuable insight into the history of the abortion debate in America.
- Within Gale’sWomen’s Studies Archive, educators and students can find excerpts from notable publications, includingHer-Self,Ms., andWomen’s Rights Law Reporter, which detail the initial response to the Roe v. Wade ruling.
- To examine the roots of the antiabortion movement, educators and students can reference materials distributed by radical and extremist groups—like the following anti-abortion pamphlets in Gale’sPolitical Extremism and Radicalismdatabase:
- Parallels are often drawn between the fight for reproductive and LGBTQ rights, so examining the Roe v. Wade ruling through the lens of the gay press is a useful way to understand its impact on the legalization of gay marriage and other key legislation.
Have the (informed) conversation
一个cross the country, students arealready engagingin the abortion rights discussion. Educators have an opportunity to bring the conversation into the classroom or lecture hall—and use available resources to support teaching and learning around this timely, crucial topic.
Learn more about usingGale In Context: High School,Gale InContext: Opposing Viewpoints,andGale Primary Sourcesin your school or library.