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1800 BCE
Eighteenth Century B.C., The death penalty first established
First established in the eighteenth century in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon the death penalty codified for 25 different crimes. In the beginning of times the death penalty seemed to be imposed heavily and the most common ways of execution were from crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. Execution style killings would happen previous so the law bring imposed, but would see an increase in the eighteenth century once first established. -
The First Execution
Captain George Kendall becomes the first recorded execution in the new colonies, Kendall was executed for being an alleged spy for Spain. This execution took place in Jamestown, Virginia. -
Capital Punishment Reduction.
The first penitentiary was built in the late 1700s actually in Philadelphia, although this was built to help with crowding and the overpopulation of other prisons. In the early 1800s is when states reduce their number of capital crimes and expand the number of state penitentiaries. -
Michigan Abolishes Death Penalty.
In 1847 Michigan becomes the first state to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except treason. The death penalty would then be included in 40 session of legislature in the next 20 some years until voted on again, resulting in a veto. -
Electrocution.
In a prison in New York, William Kemmler was convicted for the brutal murder of his lover with an axe. William would then be the first person recorded to be sentenced to the death penalty and die from electrocution. -
All Time High.
From the years 1920-1940 there was a revival in the use of the death penalty, now with few different ways to preform the task. There was more executions in the 1930s then any other decade, averaging 167 deaths per year due to the death penalty. -
All Time Low.
Shortly after its peak the death penalty was voted on in a US poll as being supported by a minority of only 42% with 58% being against the death penalty. Following this poll in the following year there was only 2 execution killings to the death penalty and none from 1968 through 1976 -
Suspended.
Furman vs. Georgia, the death penalty had been suspended as the supreme court successfully voided 40 penalty statues. Although the suspension did not last very long a short 4 years later in 1976 Gregg Vs. Georgia had reinstated the death penalty. -
Laws Against Death Penalty
Coker v. Georgia, Ford v. Wainwright, Thompson v. Oklahoma, Penry v. Lynaugh names of several cases that took place during the 1980s preventing certain people from being killed from the death penalty. Rapist of a women could not be sentenced to death if the person they raped were not killed, the execution of insane person was prohibited, executions of people fifteen or younger deemed unconstitutional and the execution fo people with "mental retardation" not violation of 8 amendment. -
Death Penalty Now
Many of the laws against capital punishment made in the 1980s had been reversed or ruled otherwise in the previous years leading up tp current day. A handful of states have abolished capital punishment, and another handful repealing the death penalty and replacing it with life without parole. Other states like Nebraska have deemed certain ways of punishment as cruel or unusual punishment, Nebraska ruled electrocution the sole execution method in the state as cruel or unusual punishment in 2008.