The US Supreme Court is the head of the judicial branch of the federal government. It is the highest court in the land, with thousands of cases appealed to it every year. One of those history-making cases was Roe v. Wade, which decided the legality of abortion in the United States. Readers will follow this case from beginning to end, including the social and political climates that led up to it and the effects it had after the court made its ruling. Major players and key ideas and events are discussed, including Jane Roe, aka Norma McCorvey, Linda Coffee, Sarah Weddington, women’s rights, feminism, the history of attitudes toward and laws regarding abortion, abortion rates, birth control reform, the use of the Ninth and Fourteenth amendments, pro-life and pro-choice arguments, and ongoing challenges to the court’s decision. Roe v. Wade continues to brew controversy in the nation today. This landmark Supreme Court case changed the course of US history and shaped the country we live in. Landmark Supreme Court Cases is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.