ICAP American History Practice Test 2026 – The All-in-One Guide for Exam Mastery!

The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade established that the right to privacy, as implied by the Constitution, encompasses a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. This landmark case was decided in 1973 and recognized that while the state has interests in regulating abortions, especially as the pregnancy progresses, the decision to terminate a pregnancy falls within the realm of personal privacy rights protected by the 14th Amendment. The Court ruled that states could not impose blanket bans on abortion during the first trimester and had limited authority to regulate the procedure thereafter, allowing women to make this fundamental personal decision.