Reply #3: a (very) brief history of abortion from encyclopedia.com:

[formerrepuke]

"Abortion induced by herbs or manipulation was used as a form of birth control in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and probably earlier. In the Middle Ages in Western Europe it was generally accepted in the early months of pregnancy. However, in the 19th cent. opinion about abortion changed. In 1869 the Roman Catholic Church prohibited abortion under any circumstances. In England and in the United States in the 19th cent. stringent antiabortion laws were passed."

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/abortion_HistoryofAbortion.asp