Plain English with Derek Thompson

The 300-Year History of Abortion in America—in 30 Minutes

May 6, 2022

Mary Ziegler, a visiting professor at Harvard and an expert on abortion history, teams up with Karissa Haugeberg, a Tulane professor, to unpack the complex 300-year narrative of abortion in America. They discuss how early abortion practices were viewed differently and the significant shifts leading to Roe v. Wade. The conversation highlights the political reshaping of abortion rights, especially within the Republican Party, and what the future may hold for reproductive rights post-Roe. It's a compelling blend of history and current implications.

42:39

Episode guests

Mary Ziegler

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

5min

Abortion in Early America: Context and Change

8min

Examining the Abortion Debate: Movements and Public Opinion Pre-Roe v. Wade

5min

Shifts in Abortion Legislation and Strategy Post-Roe v. Wade

4min

The Political Evolution of Abortion in the Republican Party

2min

The Evolution of Abortion Rights in America

16min

Sometimes, people ask “why study history?” How about this: American history is the weapon being used to strike down Roe Vs Wade. In the leaked draft of the Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe, conservative Justice Samuel Alito writes that Roe invented a right to abortion that cannot be found in early American history. Is he right? And what’s the true history of abortion in America?

That’s the subject of today’s episode—a fast, factual guide to how we got to this moment, reviewing the 300-year history of abortion in America in just 30 minutes. Today’s guests are two historians of abortion in American—Mary Ziegler, a visiting prof at Harvard, and Karissa Haugeberg, assistant professor at Tulane University. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email me at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.

Host: Derek Thompson

Guests: Karissa Haugeberg and Mary Ziegler

Producer: Devon Manze

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