The essay by Cornelia Dayes Hughton; “Taking the Trade” discussed the real case of a botched abortion in 17th century New England. This case is one of the only accounts of mechanical abortion discovered in colonial North America and gives historians a unique opportunity to view how abortion was viewed legally and religiously during this era. This case involved a woman who was coerced by her lover and physician into “taking the trade”, medicine used to abort a fetus that they had conceived out of wedlock and later into having it aborted surgically. The woman, Sarah Grosvenor, was reluctant to abort her fetus and was essentially forced to. The actions of these men succeeded in causing her to miscarry, but also resulted in her death. The way …show more content…
This decision reflected the view that people had at the time that a young man could be sexually reckless but redeem himself and become a respected member of society.
The second document is a book written by a male physician on reproduction. This book reflects the struggle between midwives and physicians on who's practice was legitimate and the medicalization of reproduction. The text is condescending towards midwives. The author asserts that he can communicate what midwives "ought to know, the better to exercise their art". He also states that it is impossible to tell whether a woman is with child with a boy or a girl " tho there is hardly a midwife who will not boast herself able to resolve it".
This tension between doctors and unlicensed medical practitioners like midwives led to a campaign against abortion by the AMA. This was largely because of the discovery that fetal development preceded quickening. In the document "On Quackery and Abortion" the medical society promised to establish good regulations, sound doctrines, and ethics. This established their view on abortion as unethical asserted their promise to regulate