While many people are well aware of the general themes surrounding the legal battle, the background of the woman at the center of it all, Jane Roe (real name: Norma McCorvey), may be somewhat unknown to most Americans. Her story is a fascinating one, as the plaintiff-turned-activist quickly became the catalyst — and face — of legalized abortion, later renouncing her role to become one of the nation’s most outspoken pro-life advocates. And even if you might have known that, there’s plenty of other fascinating details you may not.
McCorvey, who went by the pseudonym ”Jane Roe” for the purposes of her role in a legal battle that set off decades of furor, has gone through some fascinating evolutions over the past four decades (in case you’re wondering, “Wade” was Henry Wade, Dallas County’s District attorney who was attempting to uphold Texas law). Contrary to what one might expect from the woman who once fervently challenged abortion regulations, McCorvey, in her later years, has expressed sadness about the Roe vs. Wade verdict. In 1997, while speaking with CNN about the ruling’s anniversary, she told the outlet that it made her “very sad.”
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