History of Capital Punishment in America and its Controversies
explanatory Essay
846 words
The history of the capital punishment has been around since the beginning of the world we live in today. As the years have come and gone the use of capital punishment has been passed down throughout the generations of countries. One of the first uses of capital punishment dated back to the Old Testament. During biblical times God punished the world for its sins by causing a flood to destroy mankind. Many ancient cultures followed by deciding that death should be the end result of crimes committed. Ancient nations came up with legal codes to follow or capital punishment will be given. The crimes that warranted death were considered offensive to God and the people. (Gersham, 2005) The first record of the death penalty was in in Egypt. In this case the accused was charged with practicing magic. During these times practicing magic was against the legal codes of law and was offensive to both gad and the people. The accused was ordered to take his own life for his crime. (Gersham, 2005) King Hammurabi designed a Code of law in Babylon, consisting of 282 laws written on 12 tablets. Twenty –five of his code violations resulted in capital punishment. These Codes of laws were one of the first written laws in the world. The laws of Hammurabi had great impact on the western world. (Gersham, 2005) During Roman times the method of capital punishment was progressing. Under Roman rule one of the most famous executions was the crucification of Jesus. Jesus was accused of political and challenging authority crimes. The capital punishments during Roman rule were used widely to set an example to its citizens. Almost all crimes were resulted in capital punishment. The use of torture was often used before the executions were carried out. The Romans ... ... middle of paper ... ... The death penalty: An American history. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Capital Punishment and Utilitarianism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/3174449/Capital-Punishment-and-Utilitarianism Donohue, J., & Wolfers, J. J. (2006). The Death Penalty: No Evidence for Deterrence. The Economists' Voice, 3(5), 30. doi:10.2202/1553-3832.1170 Gershman, G. P. (2005). Death penalty on trial: A handbook with cases, laws, and documents. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. Lethal Injection. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2014, from www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/lethal-injection-moratorium-executions-ends-after-supreme-court-decision. Radelet, M. L., & Borg, M. J. (2000). The Changing Nature of Death Penalty Debates. Annual Review of Sociology, 26(1), 43-61. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.26.1.43 Williams, M. E. (2000). Capital punishment. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the history of capital punishment dates back to the old testament, when god punished the world for its sins by causing a flood to destroy mankind. ancient nations came up with legal codes to follow.
- Explains that the first record of the death penalty was in egypt, where the accused was charged with practicing magic.
- Explains that king hammurabi designed a code of law in babylon, consisting of 282 laws written on 12 tablets. twenty-five of his code violations resulted in capital punishment.
- Explains that the method of capital punishment was progressing during roman times, and one of the most famous executions was the crucification of jesus.
- Explains that the english capital punishment was for both major and minor crimes. the upper class had quick and less painful punishments while the lower class was a slow and painful death.
- Explains that the first settlers in america were english colonists who carried over their traditions of capital punishment from england. each charter designed their own laws pertaining to capital punishment.
- Explains that maintaining order and discipline was a major concern for the english colonist as they began to separate from english rulers.
- Explains that capital punishment laws evolved from the english traditions after the american revolution. the bill of rights prevented the use of cruel and unusual punishment for minor crimes.
- Explains that marquis de beccaria's essay on crime was published in 1766 during the enlightenment period. he wanted to strengthen society rather than weaken it with punishments.
- Explains that some states were influenced by the abolitionist movement of the 1800s and started to move away from capital punishment.
- Explains how electricity was first used in an ohio state penitentiary to discipline inmates by placing a sponge on the prisoner’s skin. edison came up with by using electricity for capital punishment.
- Cites banner, s., and wolfers, j.j. on capital punishment and utilitarianism.
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- The Controversy of Death Penalty in the USexplanatory essayThe death penalty, ever since it was established, has created a huge controversy all throughout the world. Ever since the death penalty was created, there have been people who supported the death penalty and those who wanted to destroy it. When the death penalty was first created the methods that were used were gruesome and painful, it goes against the Eighth Amendment that was put in place many years later. The methods they used were focused on torturing the people and putting them through as much pain as possible. In today’s society the death penalty is quick and painless, it follows the Eighth Amendment. Still there are many people who are against capital punishment. The line of whether to kill a man or women for murder or to let him or her spend the rest one’s life in prison forever will never be drawn in a staight.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty has created a huge controversy all throughout the world.
- Explains that the death penalty, created by king hammurabi of babylon, was a way to punish those who went against the laws and committed crimes.
- Explains that the death penalty made its way to the united states due to being influenced by the british. the first recorded execution in the american colonies was in 1608.
- Explains that each colony had different views on which crime should result in death. the massachusetts bay colony first executed in 1630, while the earlier capital statutes did not follow until afterwards.
- Explains that the death penalty was not questioned until 1770s to the 1800s when thomas jefferson and four others revised virginia’s laws and recommended the only penalties for death would be treason and murder.
- Explains how the death penalty was abolished in michigan, rhode island, and wisconsin.
1313 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penaltyopinionated essayThe death penalty has been around for many of years. The first know record of people using the death penalty was in ancient Babylonia in 1700 BC. People that where given the death penalty in 1700 BC had to committed only one of the 25 crimes that were punishable by death. These crimes could be from cheating on your wife or husband to helping slaves escape1. As years went by, the number of crimes that are punishable by the death penalty have increase and the methods of execution has changed too.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the death penalty has been around for many years. the first known record of people using it was in babylonia in 1700 bc.
- Explains that today's execution methods are different from the ones used back then. lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad, and hanging are used in many states.
- Explains that different drugs used in lethal injections can cause many problems, such as using midazolam in arizona, which took two hours to die.
- Analyzes how stories like these brought out different thoughts about the death penalty, from it being a rightful punishment to the cruel and unusual punishment.
- Explains that people who are pro-death feel that the death penalty is a fine punishment. people of different races or lower incomes don't get it because of the crime they committed.
- Explains that people who are pro-death believe that the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment.
- Opines that pro-life people disagree with the views of pro-death people. they believe that life in prison without parole is a better warning than death.
- Explains that pro-life followers believe that the death penalty is hypocritical. they also say that execution methods are picked because they are meant to be fast and painless but there is always room for something to go wrong.
- Opines that the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment, but it depends on the crime. richard ramirez killed 13 men and women, stabbed, and strangled all 13 of his victims.
- Opines that a crime like andrea yates helps people see that crimes like this can be prevented by getting help when they need it.
- Opines that if you want to put someone to death, you need to do it a fast and painful way.
- Opines that the death penalty does help our nation in many ways.
- Concludes that there are many good and bad things about the death penalty, and people with different views if it is good or bad.
1466 wordsRead More - Death Penalty: The Cruelty of Capital Punishmentanalytical essayCapital punishment is the legal infliction the death penalty. It is obviously the most severe form of criminal punishment. (Bedau1) Capital punishment is a controversial way of dealing with violent criminals. The main alternative to the death penalty is life in prison. Capital punishment has been around for thousands of years as a means of eradicating criminals. A giant debate started between supporters and opposers of execution, over the morality and effectiveness of the death penalty. The supporters claim that if you take a life you should pay with your life or "an eye for an eye". Opposers of the death penalty bring up the chance of sentencing the innocent and how the death penalty is inhumane. The purpose of this paper is to examine the process of capital punishment and the moral viewpoints on the death penalty. The first evidence of capital punishment is from Hammurabi's code, a book of Babylonian law, from 1700BC. The Bible mentions that execution should be used for many crimes. (Bedau1) One example of the death penalty in the bible is "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death." (Exodus 21:12). The bible also suggests stoning a woman if she unmarried sex and had "wrought folly on Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house" (Deuteronomy 22:21) England recognized seven major crimes that called for execution by the end of the 15th century. These crimes were: murder, theft (by deceitfully taking someone goods), burglary, rape, and arson. As time went by more and more crimes were believed to deserve the death penalty and by 1800 more than 200 crimes were recognized as punishable by death. (Bedau2) It was not long before capital punishment met opposition. The Q...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that capital punishment is a controversial way of dealing with violent criminals, and the main alternative to the death penalty is life in prison.
- Argues that the monotonous appeal process is the reason for the excess of inmates on death row today.
- Explains that supporters of the death penalty rationalize executing because a man should pay for it with his own. they argue that life in prison without parole is better for dealing with violent criminals.
- Explains that the only accepted methods of execution are electrocution, the gas chamber, firing squad, and lethal injection.
- Opines that we must devise more sane methods of execution which are quick and efficient, and make the appeals process more orderly to cut down on the glut of inmates on death row.
- Explains hugo a. bedau's "capital punishment" grolier multimedia encyclopedia (cd-rom).
- Describes bender, david l., and bruno leone's the death penalty opposing viewpoints.
1355 wordsRead More - Death Penalty: Needed Sacrifice or Legal Homicide?analytical essayRadelet, Michael L., and Marian J. Borg. "The Changing Nature Of Death Penalty Debates." Annual Review Of Sociology 26.1 (2000): 43. Business Source Complete. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty should be abolished due to ethics, religion, and unconstitutionality.
- Argues that the death penalty is a necessary evil and that it helps deal with the overpopulation in prisons.
- Argues that the government should abolish the death penalty because it is unconstitutional. capital punishment is a violation of the eight amendment, which states that everyone has the right to live.
- Opines that the death penalty has some good, but the bad outweighs it. it affects society as a whole.
- Concludes that the death penalty should be abolished due to religious reasons. the fifth commandment, "thou shalt not kill", states that killing anyone is wrong and unjust.
- Explains that liebman, james s., mulligan, kenneth, and radelet, michael l. and marian j. borg, "the changing nature of death penalty debates."
922 wordsRead More - Writing Assignment 1analytical essayIn summary, Radelet & Borg (2000) draw three general observations from the data. First, there have been significant changes in the arguments made for and against the death penalty in the United States. While the case of cost is admittedly not as clear as the other areas, retribution has become the only real justification for capital punishment. Second, countries around the world have been, and continue to be, declining in their usage of the death penalty. Last, social science scholars are being listened to. More research is being published on key issues, and changes are being implemented, albeit seemingly slowly, in accordance with research conducted by criminologists.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how radelet & borg address the most common arguments for and against the death penalty, and how views on capital punishment have changed over time in six specific areas.
- Explains that s analyze secondary data from previous studies, surveys, experiments, and other social science literature. most of the data comes from gallup polls, federal statistics and literature or experiments published by other criminologists.
- Explains that deterrence was the most frequently-cited reason for arguments in support of the death penalty.
- Explains that incapacitation is another oft-cited justification for use of the death penalty, since no murderer has ever been executed and subsequently gone on to kill again.
- Explains that the death penalty fails to avoid racial bias, and that american citizens support it despite acknowledging that there is an inherent bias.
- Explains that while some proponents of the death penalty claim that the cost of execution is much lower than that of housing inmates for life sentences, recent data suggests the contrary.
- Explains that supporters of the death penalty now admit that the sentence will occasionally be given to an innocent.
- Analyzes radelet & borg's claim that retribution is the most popular argument in support of the death penalty. since it lends itself better to moral discussion than empirical evidence, it is not a particularly good issue for criminologists.
- Explains that radelet & borg (2000) draw three general observations from the data: there have been significant changes in the arguments made for and against the death penalty.
731 wordsRead More - The Issue of Capital Punishment in the United Statesanalytical essayDeath Valley: The Issue of Capital Punishment in the United States Should capital punishment be practiced in the United States? This question has been highly debated for many years because of the numerous, often conflicting perspectives from which various parties have attempted to answer it. These parties range from high-ranking politicians seeking to lower the national crime rate to the average United States taxpayer who does not want to see his or her money being spent inefficiently. In addition to such empirical concerns, moral issues such as conceptions of justice arise as well. After examining the history of the issue, its international status, and the arguments of the opposing factions, we will recommend that capital punishment remain in use in those states that want to regulate it, but that reforms are necessary in order to improve its system of implementation.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that capital punishment should be practiced in the united states because of the numerous, often conflicting perspectives from which various parties have attempted to answer it.
- Analyzes how the debate over the death penalty dates back to the late 1700s when incarceration became an alternative to killing criminals.
- Analyzes how the divisiveness stems from the fact that capital punishment is a controversial practice. the plurality of viewpoints reflects the diverse moral upbringings experienced by those with an interest in the issue.
- Explains that politicians support the death penalty because it is a sensitive issue, but the two front-runners for the democratic nomination, john kerry and john edwards, support it.
- Argues that the death penalty is just an appeal to the law of hammarabi. the law is problematically ironic in that it is intended to compensate for the loss of an innocent life.
- Explains that the moral arguments for and against capital punishment have appealing moral cases, and empirical issues come to the fore when one decides which political stance to take.
- Argues that a platform that seeks not simply to maintain but also to improve the system of capital punishment implementation might well result in voters shifting from the camp that prefers life imprisonment without parole.
- Argues that the best way to cut the cost of capital punishment is to reform the legal system in which it operates.
- Argues that strong adherents to the "death is different" claim might respond to proposed reforms by maintaining that the penalty phase and appeals process are necessary to ensure that only those who deserve to die are executed.
- Argues that there is no shortage of evidence against the claim that capital punishment is a better deterrent than life without parole.
- Argues that alternative to the death penalty is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. public opinion is split between capital punishment and life without parole, and arguments on both sides have already been rehearsed.
- Argues that cutting government funds and investing extra money in crime prevention programs is an alternative to capital punishment, but the extent to which these anti-crime policies are true alternatives is dubious.
- Argues that the debate over whether or not the united states should implement capital punishment is terribly difficult to decide conclusively. those who oppose it on strictly moral grounds are unlikely to be persuaded.
- Describes grant, stefanie, "a dialogue of the deaf?" new international attitudes and the death penalty.
- Cites the sourcebook for criminal justice statistics 2002. "public attitudes toward the death penalty."
- Explains that most politicians support the death penalty to some degree, as public opinion polls show that the majority of americans favor capital punishment.
3442 wordsRead More - Of The Death Penalty Pros And Consanalytical essayThe Death penalty has attracted much interest from various people all over the world. This issue is always fraught with emotions characterized by themes that have changed over the past hundreds of years. Various discussions on the death penalty have considered certain aspects of this capital punishment, drawing views from both sides of extremists. For example, people have argued about whether or not death penalty prevents crime, whether it is humane for states to execute their people or whether this form of punishment is worth the cost. National and international leaders have also contributed to this discussion at a time when crime rates are rising globally, and popular support and opposition to capital
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the death penalty has attracted interest from various people all over the world. the paper discusses the arguments for and against capital punishment.
- Opines that the death penalty is unethical and incompatible with human rights. it violates the guarantee of democratic constitutions in providing equal protection to all.
- Argues that capital punishment should be upheld as a means of punishment for criminal behavior.
- Argues that the death penalty does not deter criminal behavior and is ethically wrong.
1109 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay On The Death Penaltyanalytical essayThe death penalty has a long history, according to deathpenaltyinfo the earliest reported death penalty laws were in the eighteenth century B.C., and since then the laws have changed in every area and every century (DPIC). The death penalty was carried out by crucifixion, drowning, beaten
In this essay, the author
- Opines that lethal injection is not cheap at all, as the cost of the drugs used in it went up after one drug was changed.
- Explains that utah's firing squad could only be used if the death row inmate chose this method.
- Explains that lethal injections are not as humane as everyone thought. the death penalty has a long history, with crucifixion, drowning, beaten to death, burning alive, and impalement.
- Argues that the lethal injection is not reliable because of the failed executions and the cost it takes to execute one person. the death penalty is a controversial topic because everyone sees the negativity from it.
1119 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penaltyexplanatory essayThe death penalty dates all the way back to Eighteenth Century B.C.. It was codified in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon and it was used as punishment for 25 different types of crimes. It was also a part of the Hittie Code in Fourteenth Century B.C., the Draconian Code of Athens, the Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets, and in Tenth Century B.C. in Britain. The death sentence was carried out in various ways including, drowning, burning alive, crucifixion, beating and hanging (Death Penalty Information Center, 2014).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that new york was the second state to carry out the most executions from 1608 to 1972, after virginia.
- Explains that the cost of the death penalty has increased dramatically due to the replacement of sodium thiopental with a more expensive substitute, pentobarbital.
- Opines that the death penalty is not proven to be a successful form of deterrence for crime.
- Explains that due to the high cost of the drugs used for lethal injection, us death row states turn to other substitute drugs that are less costly and this leads to various botched executions.
- Explains that the death penalty was used as a way of punishment for committing the most serious crimes, including drowning, burning alive, crucifixion, beating, and hanging.
- Explains that the death penalty was abolished and reinstated several times in new york until it was declared unconstitutional by the state's high court.
- Opines that the death penalty should be abolished everywhere, as it is a waste of money, time, and inhumane.
1590 wordsRead More - Death Penaltyanalytical essayUnlike the lethal injection, electrocution, firing squad, and gas chamber, hanging is more painful; therefore, using hanging as a death penalty puts more fear into murderers (Death Penalty Information Center). “Although you will never deter all murderers, the effect of deterrence will rise as the probability of executions rise” (Sharp “Death Penalty Paper”). Whenever death penalties are used as a punishment, the percentage of murders committed declines. A study done by three Emory University economists concludes that for every death penalty execution there are 18 fewer murders. Similar studies from scholars at the University of Houston, SUNY Buffalo, Clemson, and the Federal Communications Commission have proven to show the same results (Jacoby). “And all of them underscore an inescapable bottom line: The execution of murderers protects innocent life” (Jacoby).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes liptak, adam, "does death penalty save lives?" the new york times.
- Opines that sharp, dudley, and justice for all, "death penalty paper." pro death penalty.
- Analyzes sharp, dudley, mental retardation and the death penalty.
- States that fear is used in the death penalty as a way to deter people from murder and provide justice for the victims.
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