This course studies the history of contraception, abortion, and the fight for reproductive rights in the United States. We begin in the 17th century and conclude with the aftermath of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. We trace the history of individual efforts to control their own reproduction and movements that have fought for equal access to safe, affordable, and judgment-free reproductive healthcare. Threaded throughout this history are discussions of the ways that systemic forms of oppression (racism, misogyny, anti-immigrant xenophobia, classism, ableism, ageism, and more) intersect to enact what scholars now term “reproductive governance” and “reproductive oppression.” The troubled histories of eugenicist population control and forced sterilization will be examined. A significant emphasis of the course will be in the era following the passage of Roe in 1973, when the antiabortion movement went into high gear, and the “pro-choice” movement attempted to respond. Finally, we will explore the “reproductive justice framework,” introduced by women of color-led organizations in the late 20th century, and the opportunities created by medication abortions. This course will utilize methodologies of cultural and social history to study the contested meanings surrounding reproductive rights and access to reproductive healthcare in the United States. We will look at primary sources including print, visual, and popular culture, and secondary sources as scholars have studied this topic. Students will gain an understanding of why restricting access to reproductive healthcare is a means of limiting the full participation in society of people of all genders. Upon completion of this course, students will be equipped to assess the quality and accuracy of information, news, proposed legislation, and cultural productions on the topic of reproductive justice in the post- Dobbs era. [This ULEC is in category 1, Tools for Social Change]