The Evil of the Age – Episode #2 (of 2)

The trial of Dr. Rosenzweig attracted national attention, thanks to its relentless coverage in the New York press. Abortion was relatively common in Post-Civil War New York. In fact, an underground network of providers openly advertised their services in the classified sections of the local newspapers. However, in 1871, it was an unsafe and often fatal pursuit. The Rosenzweig trial went well beyond arguing the facts of the case; it quickly became a forum on the legality and morality of the practice. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022, the reproductive rights battle rages on – as contentious and intractable an issue in the 21st century as it was in the 19th.