How did the Roe v. Wade decision affect American society?

It divided Americans more than any other issue of the women's movement.

It gave Second Wave Feminism a bad name for most Americans.

It created divisions among Second Wave feminists.

It made the women's movement more popular than it had ever been before.

It divided American more than any other issue of the women's movement.

Explanation / historical context:

The Roe v. Wade case (1973) saw a right to privacy in the US Constitution, and applied the privacy principle to a patient's relationship with a personal physician. The decision ruled that an individual has an expectation of privacy and confidentiality in conversations with a physician. A specific "right to privacy" is not detailed within the United States Constitution, but the 9th Amendment states, "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The 9th Amendment has been seen as a place where rights to privacy are protected. The case of Roe v. Wade dealt with a woman seeking medical assistance in terminating a pregnancy. "Jane Roe" was a pseudonym used for the court case. Attorneys for "Jane Roe" challenged the state law that prohibited abortion except "for the purpose of saving the life of the mother," with Dallas County District Attorney named as the defendant to represent the state of Texas. The case ultimately went to the US Supreme Court and rights to privacy and the 9th Amendment became key issues in the decision.

Ever since that decision, Americans have continued to battle over the subject of abortion. A poll conducted by the Gallup organization in 2018 showed that 48% of Americans consider themselves pro-life, and 48% consider themselves pro-choice. (5% answered the survey with "no opinion.")