Oral Presentations - Session 2D: UC 331
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Professor Kyle G. Volk
Faculty Mentor’s Department
History
Abstract / Artist's Statement
“Dr. Horatio Storer and the Abortion Battle of the Nineteenth Century”
John Chaussee and Kyle Volk (Mentor), History
This paper argues that an esteemed member of the American Medical Association, and a respected, world-renowned physician influenced the argument against abortion and shaped the laws enacted against it in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Dr. Horatio Storer based his crusade against abortion on his own interpretation of the moral and ethical codes which he felt all physicians should adhere to while practicing medicine. Author of numerous pamphlets and books, Storer led the battle to ban abortion as a spokesman for the AMA.
This research paper is the culmination of a semester of in-depth research under the guidance of Professor Volk. Numerous primary and secondary resources played a significant role in the crafting of this paper. These sources include books and tracts written by Storer, period newspaper pieces, and scholarly secondary sources. This project is unique in its scrutiny of Storer’s motives. Other historiography lauds Storer as a champion of the unborn, while this paper examines Storer’s personal and professional ambitions in his crusade against abortion.This research is significant in its critical approach of Storer’s reasoning against abortion, including his belief that pregnancy induced a state of temporary insanity in all women. Further, this paper helps explain why abortion continues to be a controversial topic to this day.
Category
Humanities
Dr. Horatio Storer and the Abortion Battle of the Nineteenth Century
“Dr. Horatio Storer and the Abortion Battle of the Nineteenth Century”
John Chaussee and Kyle Volk (Mentor), History
This paper argues that an esteemed member of the American Medical Association, and a respected, world-renowned physician influenced the argument against abortion and shaped the laws enacted against it in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Dr. Horatio Storer based his crusade against abortion on his own interpretation of the moral and ethical codes which he felt all physicians should adhere to while practicing medicine. Author of numerous pamphlets and books, Storer led the battle to ban abortion as a spokesman for the AMA.
This research paper is the culmination of a semester of in-depth research under the guidance of Professor Volk. Numerous primary and secondary resources played a significant role in the crafting of this paper. These sources include books and tracts written by Storer, period newspaper pieces, and scholarly secondary sources. This project is unique in its scrutiny of Storer’s motives. Other historiography lauds Storer as a champion of the unborn, while this paper examines Storer’s personal and professional ambitions in his crusade against abortion.This research is significant in its critical approach of Storer’s reasoning against abortion, including his belief that pregnancy induced a state of temporary insanity in all women. Further, this paper helps explain why abortion continues to be a controversial topic to this day.