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== Background ==
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== Background ==
While the simple answer might be 1973 with the ''Roe v. Wade '' decision, the history of abortion’s decriminalization occurred on a state-by-state basis—much like its criminalization.
In colonial America, abortion was dealt with in a manner according to English common law. Abortion was typically only frowned upon, or penalized, when it occurred after “quickening,”—when a woman felt fetal movement—because it suggested that the fetus had manifested into its own separate being. Quickening could vary from women to woman, and sometimes as late as four months. Additionally, it was only penalized because it was typically seen as some kind cover-up for improper sexual relations.
