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First reported execution
The first reported execution in the United States.
Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia was executed for being a secret spy for Spain. At this time the laws of execution varied from colony to colony. Many colonies would execute for reasons such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, or trading with Indians. -
Crimes Punishable
Crimes punishable by death become only treason and murder for the state of Pennsylvania. William Penn founder of Pennsylvania produced The Great Law or Body of Laws which solely related to the Quaker criminal code. Within this body of laws Penn changed the death sentence to only treason or murder and replaced the punishment for all other crimes with bodily punishments of imprisonment in a House of Corrections. -
Death Penalty in all 13 colonies
All 13 U.S. Colonies use the death penalty.
The American Revolution began and so did capital punishment. Death sentences covered many crimes at this time including: arson, piracy, treason, murder, sodomy, burglary, robbery, rape, horse-stealing, slave rebellion, and often times counterfeiting. Most commonly used for this punishment was hanging. -
Public Executions
Public executions were criticized for being cruel.
These gatherings sometimes would bring in tens of thousands of people. This was made into entertainment with merchants selling concessions and souvenirs. Within the crows meaning fights, pushing and shoving would break out as peopled were eager to get the best view. The violence and rowdiness of the crowds would not come to a calm over the hangings were done but last through out the entire night. -
Abolish Death Penalty
Michigan become the first state to abolish the death penalty.
Michigan abolished the death penalty for all crimes except treason and replaced all other crimes with life imprisonment. -
Fourteenth Amendment
Following the Civil War The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed. The amendment extended the Fifth Amendment's protections to the states. The Amendment is often used in arguments during court preceedings. -
Electric Chair
First electric chair introduced by Thomas Edison.
Death by the electric chair was first used on animals such as cats and dogs for testing. The majority of these demonstrations were conducted in New Jersey. After the demonstrations people began to believe this type of execution was quick and painless. -
Abolishment
Nine states abolished the death penalty. The final state abolished the year of 1917.
All states including Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Arizona, Missouri, and Tennessee completely got rid of the death penalty or at least narrowed down the offense to treason or first degree murder of a law enforcement officer. -
Gas Chamber
The first United States execution by gas chamber happened.
The execution was held in Carson City, Nevada on February Eighth. Tong Lee was the man being executed for murdering a gang member. Nevada was introducing the gas chamber using cyanide gas opposing a more humane method of carrying out the death sentence instead of previous ways such as the firing squad, hanging, or electric chair. -
Last Publicized Execution
Last publicized execution held in the United States.
Rainey Bathea was the last person to be publicly executing. Bathea was sentenced death by hanging for raping and murdering a woman in Owensboro, Kentucky. The case was very well mediated due to a woman being hung which helped contribute to the ban on publicized executions. -
Allows 2nd Attemp at Execution
United States Supreme Court rules that a second attempt after the first resulting in technical malfunctions does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
In the case Louisiana ex rel Francis V. Resweber the court was confronted with a faulty electric chair after a man had survived the electric currents. The court found that this did not provide cruel and unusual punishment, double jeopardy, or any violation of due process because the malfunction was completely accidently. The execution was -
Abloshment Again
Several states abolish Capital Punishment
Many studies were exhausted largely criticizing the death penalty large part in the United States. Death row and prison inmates were giving their own accounts of capital punishment in books and films. After wards stats began abolishing the death penalty once again. Hawaii, Alaska, Delaware, Michigan, Oregon, Iowa, New York, West Virginia, Vermont, and New Mexico all took part in this abolishment. -
Furman v. Georgia
U.S. Supreme Court rules teh Death Penalty unconstitutional as administered. In case “Furman v. Georgia”, the Supreme Court ruled that all cases before the court of the death penalty had violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The death penalty at this time was declared to be too random and discriminatory. Furman was later used as a guideline in developing acceptable standards. -
Reinstatement of the Death Penalty
During the case Gregg v. Georgia court decided to reinstate the death penalty with contributing factors. This introduction of factors allowed to decide upon aggervating or mittigating circumstances. -
Lethal Injection
Texas becomes the first state to use the lethal injection procedure on 40 year old Charles. Oklahoma medical examiner named Jay Chapman proposed that death-row inmates be executed using three drugs administered in a specific sequence: a barbiturate (to anesthetize inmates), pancuronium bromide (to paralyze inmates and stop their breathing) and lastly potassium chloride (which stops the heart). Chapman's proposal was approved by the Oklahoma state legislature and quickly adopted by other states. -
Execution of insane persons unconctitutional
Case “Ford v. Wainwright” resulted in execution of any insane person result in violation of the Eighth Amendment, cruel and unusual punishment. -
Execution of Child Unconstitutional
Case "Thompson v. Oklahoma" determined a person under the age of 16 is to be concidered a child and would not be constitutional to sentence death penalty if the offense was made prior the the age. -
Last Execution by Hanging
Bill Baily was the last person executed by hanging in the state of Delaware. -
Last Execution by Gas Chamber
A German man Walter LaGrand executed in Arizona has become the last person executed by gas chamber. This was at his choice to show his protestment to the death penalty he refused the offer of lethal injection. -
Short supply
The sole provider of the anesthetic used in execution has announced they would stop manufacturing the ingredient needed in order to prevent it's contribution of putting criminals to death. -
17th state to abolish
Connecticut became the 17th state to abolish the death penalty. Replacing the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole. The repeal is not retroactive leaving about 10 inmates waiting on death row. Although they are not likely to be executed since the repeal.
