PostHole
Compose
Login
Before Roe: The Physicians' Crusade (2022)
Abortion wasn't always controversial. In fact, in colonial America it would have been considered a fairly common practice: a private decision made by women, and aided mostly by midwives. But in the mid-1800s, a small group of physicians set out to change that. Obstetrics was a new field, and they wanted it to be their domain—meaning, the domain of men and medicine. Led by a zealous young doctor named Horatio Storer, they launched a campaign to make abortion illegal in every state, spreading a potent cloud of moral righteousness and racial panic that one historian later called "the physicians' crusade." And so began the century of criminalization.
In the first episode of a two-part series, we're telling the story of that century: how doctors put themselves at the center of legal battles over abortion, first to criminalize — and then to legalize.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
####
Throughline
NPR
####
Throughline
Get perks with [Podcast Title]+
Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.
-->
Before Roe: The Physicians' Crusade (2022)
June 8, 202312:15 AM ET
[Ramtin Arablouei, co-host and co-producer of Throughline.]
Deborah George
Victor Yvellez
Before Roe: The Physicians' Crusade (2022)
****
Listen
52:48
52:48
<iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1180616572/1200556159" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">