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Essay on lizzie borden case
Essays over the unsolved crime/mystery of lizzie borden
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Lizzie Borden, Lead Suspect The Lizzie Borden trial of 1893 is one of the most interesting and famous court cases, an axe murder case, perhaps, and still over a century, we have yet to find out who was the murderer of Andrew Borden and Abby (Durfee Gray) Borden. The place where this murder happened was on a hot August 4, 1892 at 92 Second Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. First, it also included and/or involved Lizzie Andrew Borden, herself, of course, as the defendant and as the lead suspect. She was the only person in/around the house at the time of the murder and may not have liked her stepmother and/or have wanted to inherit the money her father already. Her father, Andrew Borden, had been attacked and killed while sleeping on the …show more content…
They included strawman, appeal to fear, appeal to pity, and transfer. One strawman could have been “You’re saying Lizzie wouldn’t want to be rich”, and “Lizzie’s dad wasn’t always so nice, though”. These both could have created a distraction(s), and would have made Lizzie appear guilty. Another emotional appeal was appeal to fear, which was that Lizzie showed little emotion at the discovery of her father’s dead body and in the days following the murder; she was the only one around and/or in the house, too, so she would have been thought guilty of both of those. Appeal to pity was that she was just a poor, little, somewhat older woman, so “she must have been not guilty.” Lastly, Lizzie Borden was transferred to be hateful and the wanting-to-quickly-inherit-riches daughter, making her …show more content…
Lizzie Andrew Borden received a fair trial. "They really couldn't get a conviction with the evidence they had," for the weapon was never found(, although police found the head of an ax in the basement covered with ash) and there was surprisingly little blood in the area of the murders, and none on Lizzie's clothes. On the other hand, it was true that "Her testimony is filled with inconsistencies," Binette said. But, he added, Lizzie's doctor sedated her, with morphine in the days following the murders and, even, during the 10 months she served in jail prior to the trial and during the 15-day trial. Another counterargument was that she could have been the only one able to have committed the axe murder, for she was the only one seeming to be able to get into the house at that time. Along with this, “Abby Borden did not turn around while dusting the guest bedroom, as she might upon hearing an intruder. Therefore she seemed to know, and trust, her attacker.” Plus, from the voting guilty point of view, after the murders, she even burned a dress that she said had paint on it. In those days, old or disused dresses were passed along to the help or used for rags. Still, I say “innocent until proven guilty”, and there were reasonable doubts and too much uncertainty to be safe to say Lizzie Borden was guilty. Yes, I agree with the outcome, of course, because Lizzie Borden was never proven guilty with substantial evidence. If I had been the prosecutor, I
The first reason that Lizzie Borden is guilty is that Lizzie Borden switched up her story many times. In the inquest testimony Lizzie says “I was in the kitchen” (3). She was asked if she was sure about that and then she changed her story. She said she couldn’t remember if she was in there or in the dining room (3). Lizzie then changes her answer again
They found Casey Anthony, who was charged with first degree murder of her 3-year-old, not guilty. While she was not guilty of murder, she was convicted on counts four through seven for false information given to the police. The judge sentenced her to one year in county jail for each one of the four counts, but she was released 10 days after she received 1043 days credit. If I was part of the jury I would have said she was guilty of murdering her daughter. Even if she did not kill her, she is still part of the reason why she died. Casey neglected her child either way and did not report the crime to the police until someone else did. I am shocked that the visual evidence did not convince the jury that she was guilty. From the strand of hair in the trunk that matched the past child’s hair, to the extensive research on chloroform found on all web browsers, it was very evident that she did or was at least part of murdering her
After Lizzie Borden's mother passed away her father remarried. Lizzie was unable to accept this new marriage and new stepmother who her father brought into their home. Lizzie was so troubled over this that she attempted to kill her father and stepmother by poisoning them, which was unsuccessful. In her second attempt Lizzie whacked them both to death by using a hatchet. Thought Lizzie was found innocent after several trials the truth was never discovered. When Lizzie Borden died, she took the truth with her, being the only person to ever really knowing the truth to what happened to her father and stepmother that August day.
Lizzie was well aware of the disadvantages of being a woman condemned to a narrow societal image and used her unrecognized intelligence to her advantage. By murdering her father and stepfather she was able to gain everything she could have wanted; a large house on the hill, tremendous wealth, and rid herself of a detested stepmother. Although it is a morbid circumstance, Lizzie Borden proved herself to be a clever women of her era. She played the male system, knowing that regardless of what the facts say, the male ego was much more powerful. To question moral, innocent Lizzie meant the men in power must question their ways of thinking and everything they had worked so hard to create, the perfect woman.
similarity to the Salem witch trials. The McCarthy hearings are trials in which Senator Joe McCarthy accuses government employees of being Communists. He exaggerates and exploits the evidence and ruins many reputations just as the girls do in the Salem witch trials. The accused, in both cases, are used as scapegoats for society’s problems and the only way to escape direct punishment is to admit to guilt.
Vengeance plays a key role in causing the mass hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Williams, who?s probably most to blame for the trials, acts out of revenge. She and John Proctor have had an affair and when Elizabeth Proctor finds out, she throws Abigail out of their house. During the trials, Abigail is still in love with John Proctor and goes after Elizabeth out of vengeance. Elizabeth tries to explain this to John, who is in disbelief: she ?thinks to kill me, then to take my place? (61). Abigail?s main motive for destroying Elizabeth is revenge for being thrown out of the house and for having John Proctor, the man that she loves. Another character who seeks revenge is Mrs. Putnam, who has had seven children die shortly after childbirth and blames her midwife, who has many children. Rebecca Nurse is charged ?for the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam?s babies? (71). The trials are an opportunity for Ann Putnam to seek vengeance against Rebecca for having healthy children and grandchild...
Puritans believed in the devil and his role as strong as they believed in God and his role. For many centuries, Puritans had the idea that the weakest individuals in society often committed diabolical acts and sins. Furthermore, Satan selected the most vulnerable individuals to do his bidding, among these individuals, women were often held responsible for many sins, including witchcraft. (Godbeer 12). According to Richard Godbeer, in his book, The Salem Witch Hunt, “it was Eve who first gave away to Satan and seduced Adam.” (Godbeer 12). In 1692, witchcraft became a panic among Puritan society. Even though both men and women were accused of witchcraft, women were seventy-six percent more likely to be accused in Salem than men. (Godbeer 12). Puritan society was a male dominate society and men looked down upon women. There were two particular reasons to why women were often accused of being witches. The first reason, was in due to the Puritan belief that women were the source of evil. The second reason was because of certain events that associated with accusations. These events were being of relatively low social status and income, being rich or financially independent and being a midwife or nurse.
The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were the largest outbreak of witch hunting in colonial New England up to that time. Although it was the largest outbreak, it was not something that was new. Witch-hunting had been a part of colonial New England since the formation of the colonies. Between the years 1648 to 1663, approximately 15 witches were executed. During the winter of 1692 to February of 1693, approximately 150 citizens were accused of being witches and about 25 of those died, either by hanging or while in custody. There is no one clear-cut answer to explain why this plague of accusations happened but rather several that must be examined and tied together. First, at the same time the trials took place, King William's War was raging in present day Maine between the colonists and the Wabanaki Indians with the help of the French. Within this war, many brutal massacres took place on both sides, leaving orphaned children due to the war that had endured very traumatic experiences. Second, many of the witch accusations were based on spectral evidence, most of which were encounters of the accused appearing before the victim and "hurting" them. There were rampant "visions" among the colonies' citizens, which can only be explained as hallucinations due to psychological or medical conditions by virtue of disease, or poisoning.
The Salem Witch Trials took place in the summer and into the fall of the year 1692, and during this dark time of American history, over 200 people had been accused of witchcraft and put in jail. Twenty of these accused were executed; nineteen of them were found guilty and were put to death by hanging. One refused to plead guilty, so the villagers tortured him by pressing him with large stones until he died. The Salem Witch Trials was an infamous, scary time period in American history that exhibited the amount of fear people had of the devil and the supernatural; the people of this time period accused, arrested, and executed many innocent people because of this fear, and there are several theories as to why the trials happened (Brooks).
During the early winter of 1692 two young girls became inexplicably ill and started having fits of convulsion, screaming, and hallucinations. Unable to find any medical reason for their condition the village doctor declared that there must be supernatural forces of witchcraft at work. This began an outbreak of hysteria that would result in the arrest of over one hundred-fifty people and execution of twenty women and men. The madness continued for over four months.
The Rosenberg trial, which ended in a double execution in 1953, was one of the century's most controversial trials. It was sometimes referred to as, "the best publicized spy hunt of all times" as it came to the public eye in the time of atom-spy hysteria. Husband and wife, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were charged with conspiracy to commit espionage. Most of the controversy surrounding this case came from mass speculation that there were influences being reinforced by behind-the-scenes pressure, mainly from the government, which was detected through much inconsistencies in testimonies and other misconduct in the court. Many shared the belief that Ethel Rosenberg expressed best as she wrote in one of her last letters before being executed, "-knowing my husband and I must be vindicated by history.
After World War II when all the camps were liberated, trials were held against the Nazi’s who took part in this genocide. These trials were called the Nuremburg trials. The trials took place between October 20, 1945 and October 1, 1946 . Although Many Nazis felt they were taking orders their punishments through the Nuremburg trials were justified due to the massive loss of life in the concentration as well as the social consequences on families.
Following World War II, war trials convicted the criminals of their crimes. There were hundreds of trials that took place to punish the Nazi criminals. According to UnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum.org, “On December 17, 1942, the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union issued the first joint declaration officially noting the mass murder of European Jews and resolving to prosecute those responsible for crimes against civilian populations.” The United Nations War Crimes Commission would be in charge of the trials. These trials took place all over Europe.Many of them were in Germany and were held by the country that was occupying Germany after the war. According to UnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum.org, “The IMT defined crimes against humanity as “murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation.” Most of the trials were with lower-level officials, and most of the first information we knew about concentration camps came from evidence and eyewitness accounts from these trials. Some of the specific trials were the Nuremberg trials, the Doctors trials, and the Auschwitz trials.
The Rosenberg trial's outcome was largely influenced by the political state at the time. The evidence held by the government wasn't much, but due to a combination of fear and political turmoil the evidence was more than enough to make their guilty verdict.
In 1933, the Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler alongside the defendants consisting of a bracket of Nazi officials, doctors and lawyers, military officers, and German industrialists, were impeached for crimes against mortality and human nature. The Nuremberg trials brought Nazi criminals to their justice (Harvard University, Nuremberg Trials Project). The Nazi superior, Adolf Hitler, had committed suicide and was never conducted in these trials. The legal rationale of the cases at the time, were contentious. These trials were known as the benchmark of the creation of a permanent international court, and are today recognized as the catalyst of later instances of genocide and other crimes against humanity. Due to the effects of the trials, it is accurate to say that the sickening persecutions of the trials lack the characteristics of civility and democracy.