When Abortion Was a Crime

When Abortion Was a Crime examines the history of illegal abortion in the United States from the mid-1800s through 1973. Reagan traces how abortion evolved from a legal practice to a criminalized act through changing medical, legal, and social forces. The book reconstructs the experiences of women who sought abortions, the practitioners who provided them, and the authorities who prosecuted them during this era. Through extensive research of medical records, court documents, and personal accounts, Reagan documents the complex underground networks and dangerous conditions that emerged in response to criminalization. Reagan analyzes the shifting roles of medical professionals, law enforcement, religious leaders and women's groups in shaping abortion policy and practice over more than a century. Her investigation spans multiple regions and social classes, revealing how access to and persecution of abortion varied across different communities. The work illuminates enduring tensions between women's bodily autonomy, medical authority, and state control - themes that remain central to current debates about reproductive rights. This history challenges simplified narratives about illegal abortion while documenting its profound impact on American society and healthcare.

Readers appreciate Reagan's extensive research using medical records, court documents, and personal accounts to document illegal abortion practices from 1867-1973. Many note the book's value in showing how abortion access varied by race, class, and location. Reviewers highlight the balanced examination of all parties involved - doctors, midwives, law enforcement, and women seeking abortions. Multiple readers praised the focus on Chicago as a case study that revealed broader national patterns. Common criticisms include dense academic language that can be difficult for general readers. Some found the statistical data overwhelming and wanted more personal narratives. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (276 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) Google Books: 4/5 (41 ratings) Sample review: "Meticulously researched but remains accessible. Shows how class and racial inequality shaped access to both legal and illegal procedures." - Goodreads reviewer "Too much focus on statistics and policy, not enough on individual experiences." - Amazon reviewer

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🔍 Author Leslie Reagan discovered that before Roe v. Wade, many hospitals had secret "abortion committees" that would review and sometimes approve therapeutic abortions, creating a hidden system of access for certain women 💊 During the 1930s-1950s, some doctors used the euphemism "bringing on the period" in their medical records to document abortions, helping protect both themselves and their patients 👥 The book reveals that police departments often kept lists of known abortion providers, not always to arrest them but sometimes to direct desperate women to safer practitioners 📚 Reagan's research showed that Chicago's Cook County Hospital treated over 20,000 women for post-abortion complications between 1937 and 1948, highlighting the scale of underground procedures ⚖️ The term "quickening" - when a woman could first feel fetal movement - was legally significant: before quickening, ending a pregnancy wasn't considered a crime under English common law and early American law