The death penalty dates back to as far as 1750 B.C. It was a common thing back then to use physical punishment when someone committed a crime or did wrong to another family. The biblical saying, “an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” was seen as a literal punishment. During the Roman times, the lower class would often be stripped of all their worldly possessions, including their families, and be forced to a life of servitude. They may not have been put to death, but they lost everything that made them who they were and society seen them as dead. (Allen & Latessa, 2013) For a period of time it was believed that not only did the criminal have to be punished to do right by the victim and the state, but they also needed harsher punishments
…show more content…
Some of those include burglary, counterfeiting and theft. In early England’s American colonies however were more strict when it came to crimes that were punishable by the death penalty. It was saved for the worst crimes a person could commit, much like today. All thirteen colonies recognized that murder was a capital crime punishable by the death penalty. This was also a time where religion was practiced publicly and what important to many societies. Two people were killed for adultery, though it was the only record of it happening, it lead to many of the colonies reconsidering religious crimes as punishable by death. Though there was still a time when they had capital punishment for lesser crimes like burglary, arson and witchcraft. (Banner, …show more content…
Georgia was pivotal in changing the way the death penalty was used across the United States. Furman argued that the death penalty was being applied discriminatorily against minorities. They also used the eighth amendment as a defense, arguing that the states were handing out the death penalty in a cruel and unusual punishment way. Though during this time it was not unusual to us the death penalty, the punishment of death for certain crimes was definitely cruel. In the end, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court later mandated that there should be a trial to determine guilt and another trial to determine the punishment. (Allen & Latessa,
Some of those include burglary, counterfeiting and theft. In early England’s American colonies however were more strict when it came to crimes that were punishable by the death penalty. It was saved for the worst crimes a person could commit, much like today. All thirteen colonies recognized that murder was a capital crime punishable by the death penalty. This was also a time where religion was practiced publicly and what important to many societies. Two people were killed for adultery, though it was the only record of it happening, it lead to many of the colonies reconsidering religious crimes as punishable by death. Though there was still a time when they had capital punishment for lesser crimes like burglary, arson and witchcraft. (Banner, …show more content…
Georgia was pivotal in changing the way the death penalty was used across the United States. Furman argued that the death penalty was being applied discriminatorily against minorities. They also used the eighth amendment as a defense, arguing that the states were handing out the death penalty in a cruel and unusual punishment way. Though during this time it was not unusual to us the death penalty, the punishment of death for certain crimes was definitely cruel. In the end, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court later mandated that there should be a trial to determine guilt and another trial to determine the punishment. (Allen & Latessa,