The Death Penalty in America
A Cultural and Historical Analysis
The death penalty has a long history in the United States, dating back to Colonial times. The first recorded execution was in Jamestown in 1608, and capital punishment was common for the next two centuries, even occasionally for such minor offenses as theft. Other crimes carried mandatory death sentences, leaving no discretion for judge or jury to consider mitigating circumstances. Executions were generally carried out in public, and the preferred method was hanging.Although capital punishment was prevalent in early U.S. history, an abolitionist movement developed and by the mid-nineteenth century could claim numerous successes. In 1846, Michigan abolished the death…
