Back then, people were executed because of stealing grapes, denying God, cutting trees down or killing chickens. Laws were severe, strict and not very clear. They were modified depending on the prisoner’s social status, the crime and the laws from each colony. America was greatly influenced by Britain on the use of death as a punishment. United States used death penalty for several decades, executing people for committing the least serious crimes, until the 1700’s when the abolitionist movement started in Europe. Because of the Theories of “Montesquieu, Voltaire and Bentham, and English Quakers John Bellers and John Howard, and 1767 when Cesare Beccaria 's essay, On Crimes and Punishment” (Part I) that most parts of the world decided to take action. Americans used Beccaria´s manuscripts about the state having power to take people’s lives, to reform death penalties. From over a list of 222 crimes that were punished with execution the list became shorter and shorted; eventually only used for murder and
Back then, people were executed because of stealing grapes, denying God, cutting trees down or killing chickens. Laws were severe, strict and not very clear. They were modified depending on the prisoner’s social status, the crime and the laws from each colony. America was greatly influenced by Britain on the use of death as a punishment. United States used death penalty for several decades, executing people for committing the least serious crimes, until the 1700’s when the abolitionist movement started in Europe. Because of the Theories of “Montesquieu, Voltaire and Bentham, and English Quakers John Bellers and John Howard, and 1767 when Cesare Beccaria 's essay, On Crimes and Punishment” (Part I) that most parts of the world decided to take action. Americans used Beccaria´s manuscripts about the state having power to take people’s lives, to reform death penalties. From over a list of 222 crimes that were punished with execution the list became shorter and shorted; eventually only used for murder and