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Period: 1001 to 1100
William the Conqueror
During the 11th Century A.D, William the Conqueror will not allow a death penalty on anyone unless they have murdered another person. This would prevent less life being taken away for harmless crime. -
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First person ever recorded on death penalty
Captain George Kendall was a member of the first council in Jamestown. He became the first ever to be recorded as an executioner in the new colonies due to being a spy for Spain. Therefore, he was hanged, drawn and quartered to death. -
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First women in death penalty
Jane Champion became the first woman known to be executed in Virginia. She was accused of murder and hiding the death of her unlawful child. -
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Abolitionist Movement
In the late 1700s the United States began the abolitionist movement against the death penalty. In the northeast side is where the movement actually took taking the most effect. Most states started to reduce number of crimes that could force the death penalty. -
Death Penalty First Created
The death penalty was created during the 18th century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. Death would come with many different torturing and cruel ideas such as being crucified, drowned, beat to death, burned alive, and being impaled. -
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Michigan becomes the first state
Michigan becomes the first state that got rid of the death penalty for all crimes except treason as that puts America in danger. Michigan made this decision after Anthony Chebatoris was hanged for robbing a federal Bank in Midland by the United States government in 1838. -
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American abolition movement loses support
American abolition movement loses support and adds new execution method throughout the years such as the cyanide gas. This resulted in America having the largest death penalty in history with roughly about 167 deaths per year. -
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Witherspoon v. Illinois and Furman v. Georgia
This U.S. Supreme Court was tried 3 times since there were jurors that were bias towards the idea of death penalty. Furman v. Georgia was the last trial that determined that all death penalty cases violated the 8th Amendment as they presented harsh and abnormal punishments. -
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Gregg v. Georgia
Death penalty has been put once again in as a punishment since it was claimed to not be cruel therefore not Going against the 8th and 14th amendment. Utah was the first state to reuse the death penalty executing Gary Gilmore who murdered Fred Edward Summons and Bob Durwood Moore. -
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Coker v. Georgia
This case believed that the death penalty was unconstitutional because raping someone wasn’t equivalent as taking someone’s life. Georgia was the only state that authorized rapist to the death penalty. -
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Lethal Injection
One of the very first state to use and accept the lethal injection was Oklahoma. Charles Brooks becomes the first person executed by lethal injection. -
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Executions of Minors
The trial of Thompson v. Oklahoma claimed that the executions of minors ages such as fifteen and younger is considered unconstitutional. Meanwhile in Stanford v. Kentucky, and Wilkins v. Missouri claim that the 8th Amendment does not prevent death penalty for children. -
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Death Penalty Repeal
Many states little by little are starting to take away most cruel and abstract punishments while others are getting rid of death penalty as a whole. One of the states getting rid of it was Illinois as Governor Pat Quinn signs legislation to repeal the death penalty, but changes punishments to life without parole.