Abortion and contraception go back thousands of years. So does the question of who should control them. Our attitudes about controlling human reproduction through abortion and contraception have changed radically over the centuries. So have our perceptions of the moral and ethical issues involved. The Roots of Roe reveals the story of abortion and contraception in America from the first surgical abortion in 1742 to the struggles over Roe v. Wade. In a debate often reduced to simple-minded slogans, The Roots of Roe offers partisans and the public a unique historical perspective on contemporary issues.