'Defenders of the Unborn' traces the history of the campaign against abortion in the United States from the 1930s through the 1970s and argues that the pro-life movement (or anti-abortion movement) originated as a human rights campaign grounded in the principles of New Deal liberalism. The book explains how a campaign for the 'right to life' for the unborn that began as a Catholic movement used the language of universal human rights to expand its appeal to Protestants and a few Orthodox Jews in the early 1970s and argues that the movement's liberal ideology contributed to its political success.

Cover; Defenders of the Unborn; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgments; A Note on Terminology; Introduction; 1. A Clash of Values; 2. The Political Fight Begins; 3. Initial Losses; 4. National Right to Life; 5. "Abortion on Demand"; 6. A New Image; 7. Progressive Politics; 8. National Battle; 9. After Roe; Epilogue; Notes; Index.