Roe vs. Wade has proved over time to be the most devisive Supreme Court ruling of all time. Before 1973, abortion was illegal in all states because it was considered a crime by the federal government; individual states had no power to alter this ruling in any way. However, in 1973, the tides changed drastically. When one woman refused to accept the status quo, the Court decided that women's rights under the he Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution including their right to an abortion. This decision caused controvery to sweep the nation. Adding to this heated debate, the Court said that the right to have an abortion had to be balanced against the state's two legitimate interests for regulating abortions, protecting prenatal life and protecting the woman's health.