Crime and Punishment in the 1800s Imagine you are caught stealing a candy bar at your neighborhood gas station. The owner of the gas station calls the police and they arrest you. Your punishment would be way more intense than it would be in today's world. If you were lucky you would only receive a sentenced of a few years consisting of manual labor in the scorching summer sun. Punishment and crime has changed tremendously over the decades. Some of the changes has resulted in good outcomes while some has resulted in bad outcomes.
Most punishments during the 18th-century were held in public. (Wong Yue-Chim Richard 234)Executions were, designed to act as a deterrent to those who watched. Until 1783 London executions took place at Tyburn eight …show more content…
Older children had to earn a living and help with household tasks. Many families were dependant on poor relief. The winters in the early 19th century were exceptionally bitter. In 1801, everything froze for 13 weeks and the number of families applying for support rose sharply.( Burney, Elizabeth page 240)The settlement laws made it difficult for people to move around to find work, as they had to have a certificate from their parish agreeing to take them back if they became chargeable to the state. As more and more families required support from the parish, discontent with the poor law grew. The payment for the poor law came from taxes on property owners but, in reality, these were often passed on to the tenants that rented the properties, causing more …show more content…
Magistrates were themselves unpaid officials who were drawn from the ranks of the wealthy, and were expected to defend the English law as amateurs. As a result, many magistrates were easily corrupted. In London, Horace Walpole believed that ‘the greatest criminals of this town are the officers of justice’. (McDonald Lynn Page 126 )Though magistrates were extremely powerful men, many found their duties extremely burdensome and often dealt with their heavy caseloads with great reluctance.
Crime and punishment has changed so much over the decades. It has been molded to better fit our country.. Over time many changes have been made for the betterment of our society. It has became more humane and resemble then it was in the past. Decisions in the court system have became more consistent with being correct. The punishments that were given to people back then were brutal and would not be tolerated these days. The changes to our crime and punishment has influenced our country in a positive
Most punishments during the 18th-century were held in public. (Wong Yue-Chim Richard 234)Executions were, designed to act as a deterrent to those who watched. Until 1783 London executions took place at Tyburn eight …show more content…
Older children had to earn a living and help with household tasks. Many families were dependant on poor relief. The winters in the early 19th century were exceptionally bitter. In 1801, everything froze for 13 weeks and the number of families applying for support rose sharply.( Burney, Elizabeth page 240)The settlement laws made it difficult for people to move around to find work, as they had to have a certificate from their parish agreeing to take them back if they became chargeable to the state. As more and more families required support from the parish, discontent with the poor law grew. The payment for the poor law came from taxes on property owners but, in reality, these were often passed on to the tenants that rented the properties, causing more …show more content…
Magistrates were themselves unpaid officials who were drawn from the ranks of the wealthy, and were expected to defend the English law as amateurs. As a result, many magistrates were easily corrupted. In London, Horace Walpole believed that ‘the greatest criminals of this town are the officers of justice’. (McDonald Lynn Page 126 )Though magistrates were extremely powerful men, many found their duties extremely burdensome and often dealt with their heavy caseloads with great reluctance.
Crime and punishment has changed so much over the decades. It has been molded to better fit our country.. Over time many changes have been made for the betterment of our society. It has became more humane and resemble then it was in the past. Decisions in the court system have became more consistent with being correct. The punishments that were given to people back then were brutal and would not be tolerated these days. The changes to our crime and punishment has influenced our country in a positive