Roe v. Wade Explained (Like You're 10)

What Was Roe v. Wade?

• Roe v. Wade was a famous court case in the United States.
• It happened in 1973.
• The case was about whether women could have the right to have an abortion (ending a pregnancy).

Why Did It Happen?

• A woman called herself "Jane Roe" (not her real name).
• She wanted to end her pregnancy but where she lived, it was illegal.
• She took the case to court, saying the law was unfair.

What Did the Supreme Court Decide?

• The Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S.
• They made a big decision:
• The court said women have a right to choose an abortion.
• This right comes from the idea of privacy (what people do in their own lives).
• The court also said:
• States could make some rules about abortion, but not ban it completely (especially early in pregnancy).

Why Is It Important?

• Roe v. Wade made abortion legal all across the U.S.
• It led to lots of people talking and arguing about abortion.
• Some people liked the decision, some didn’t.

What Happened Later?

• People kept arguing for years.
• In 2022, a new case called Dobbs v. Jackson changed Roe v. Wade.
• Now, each state can decide its own abortion laws again.

In short:
Roe v. Wade was a big court case that let women in the U.S. have abortions if they wanted. Later, this was changed so each state makes its own rules.