How to Understand the History of Capital Punishment

The history of capital punishment in the United States dates as far back as the 1600s in Virginia. Since that time, debates over the death penalty have continued. Follow these steps to learn about the issues.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Understand the Progression of Capital Punishment

1. The Eighth Amendment of the Bill of Rights, introduced in 1791, prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. This, however, was not intended to curb capital punishment.
2. Private hangings were introduced in 1833 to avoid violent crowds.
3. Many changes to the death penalty occurred in the 1800s, from some states abolishing it altogether to the adoption of electrocution as the method of execution.
4. The early 1900s brought about more changes such as execution by lethal gas. Executions reached a peak for the era in 1935.
5. In the 1950s and 1960s, many states abolished the death penalty. This was in part a result of the effects of World War II.
6. Support for capital punishment began to return in the late 1960s. During the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, many cases ended up in the Supreme Court for rulings regarding capital punishment.
7. Note a major change in the history of death penalty cases occurred when Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (see Resources below). This made a capital punishment sentence possible for many federal crimes.
8. Remember that the accused has the right to exhaust all appeals before execution is carried out.

Explore Recent Changes in Capital Punishment History

9. DNA testing entered the picture in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many persons on death row have been found innocent. This knowledge has caused some states to put the death penalty on hold until confirming guilt or innocence.
10. Some states ban the execution of mentally disturbed inmates.
11. Some states mandate lethal injection over electrocution as a more humane method of execution.
12. The ACLU (see Resources below) is an advocacy group that challenges capital punishment.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics (see Resources below) frequently.
• In evaluating the history of capital punishment, keep in mind that changes in state and federal laws continue. Stay informed.