It was controversial mainly for two reasons: Because it involved the abortion attempt of a young woman who was a physical and emotions abuse victim, who had also lied to authorities in Texas in order to get a legal abortion. Public opinion was largely divided on the issue. Conservatives blamed the woman and Democrats blamed the existing laws that prevented women from aborting.
The second reason was judicial: many people considered that the Constitution was being misinterpreted to adjust to shifting social mores. For these dissenters, there was no legal justification of any kind to authorize abortion as a Constitutional right.
The activities that most demonstrated Americans' belief in Manifest Destiny occurred during the 19th century, while thousands of settlers moved west and displaced thousands of natives.
