The History Of The Death Penalty Paper

Submitted By Benjamin-Meyer
Words: 856
Pages: 4
Open Document
The History of the Death Penalty

The History of the Death Penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, has been a part of our judicial system for a very long time. It has been around for longer than people think to acknowledge. Before the United States were founded, even before civilization knew what democracy meant, there has been in some way or some form, capital punishment. There were limited regulations, policies, or liberties that monitored or regulated who would or could be put to death. From where we are today and from where we came from back then, have made a dramatic improvement towards the equality, lawfulness, just, ethical society we have come to know and live upon.
One of the first known and recorded events of capital punishment date back to the 18th Century B.C. under the code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which labeled 25 crimes in which the death penalty would be given. (Randa, 1997) The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is also an extremely well known case in which capital punishment was given based solely on the belief of that one man. Cruel and unusual punishment was not a factor in who died, how they died, and/or why they were put to death. The ideology behind how society was, education level, and biasness towards the convicted were clear factors in sentencing and the outcome of the accused.
It was in 1972, that the United States of America received an eye opening case which marked the change to the way capital punishment would be regulated. William Henry Furman was convicted of armed robbery and murder in the state of Georgia which, at that time, had a law called the “Felony Murder Rule” making him eligible for the death penalty. (“Felony-Murder Rule”, n.d.) He was found guilty and indeed sentenced to death. An appeal to the Supreme Court however overturned the ruling stating that the sentence given was in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth amendment. (Coenen, 2004) It was at this point that capital punishment was brought to the attention of the people as cruel and unusual punishment and demanded a change to the way capital punishment would be handled by judicial systems.
The case of Furman v. Georgia (1972), in my eyes, made a great impact on the way we conduct justice in the United States today. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were made to preserve our rights as citizens and free us from total government control. That is exactly what this court case proved and now allows us to better understand what was meant and how to interpret cruel and unusual punishment better than what we did before. This court case has possibly saved hundreds to thousands of lives that would now be considered unnecessary to be taken. Another good outcome of this case isn’t the fact that capital punishment cannot be used, but actually the opposite. We now have better guidelines and policies that control how and when capital punishment can be used. These guidelines and policies could be related to the outcome of this trial because of the implementation of the Constitution written hundreds of years ago.
An argument that could be made from people that agree with the death penalty is the lack of justice that could reside from not imposing the death penalty where they thought would be just. They could argue the fact that the Constitution is all based on how the wording is perceived and that capital punishment is not
Show More

Related Documents: The History Of The Death Penalty Paper

Nancy Reagan's Argument Against The Death Penalty

believe that more people would be alive today if there were a death penalty. Nancy Reagan. The death penalty has been a form of justice throughout history, including in colonial America, where figures like Jefferson, Rush, and Bradford influenced its reform. In the 19th century, some U.S. states reduced capital crimes and moved executions to prisons, with Pennsylvania leading in 1834, followed by Michigan's abolition of the death penalty for all crimes except treason in 1846. Despite these reforms…

Words 1021 - Pages 5

Capital Punishment: Research Guidelines Essay examples

topic for your research paper you will quickly discover there is an abundant supply of information to help with your research. If you go online you will find a wealth of topics or issues related to capital punishment. The death penalty is a subject debated and discussed at length on many forums and you will have no trouble finding opinions, facts and the history of this topic of the death penalty. Most important step in producing an excellent capital punishment research paper is to decide which side…

Words 430 - Pages 2

Texas Death Penalty

Abstract This paper will distill information from the seven articles provided to deliver a compelling argument for the abolition of the death penalty in the state of Texas. Furthermore, this paper will clearly articulate the reasons as to why ending the practice of capital punishment is the only morale and fiscally responsible way forward. This paper will use historical and contemporary sources to further illuminate how the death penalty has negatively impacted Texan society. This paper will dispel…

Words 2002 - Pages 9

Death Penalty Essay

This is a dossier on the effectiveness and the racially implicated sanctions for the application of the Death Penalty. This paper is a general indictment of the entire criminal justice system, and the faults that exist within. This is not an attempt to sway your opinion, but instead to raise the awareness of those of us who hold the creed of this Great Nation dear and the potential that it holds. I think that in the terms of greatness there is a clause that as a people and a nation, we continue…

Words 1860 - Pages 8

PAD510Assignment 2 Essay

Analyzing the Policy Dapheny A. Wells Dr. Thomas Walkington Politics, Policy and Ethics in the Public Sector February 17, 2013 Abstract This paper will discuss the historical perspective of the Federal Death Penalty Law, the Capital Case Review Procedure and indicate the context of the day and urgency of these policies. This paper will also analyze the social, economic and political environments for the times the policies were implemented. Critiques and effectiveness will also be discussed…

Words 1517 - Pages 7

Alternatives: Prison and Drug Treatment Essay

out of 9 people are exonerated from death row. - It is 11 times more likely to get death penalty is victim is white, than if he/she is black. - It is 22 times more likely to get the death penalty if defendant if black, than if he/she is white. My favorite point that Bryan Stevenson made was about the death penalty in the U.S. vs. Germany. He said that it would be unthinkable to have an organized form of killing criminals in Germany because of the country's history, yet the U.S. continues to execute…

Words 475 - Pages 2

Why I Want To Go To America Essay

The United States is a piece of paper that has become crumpled and distressed throughout time. I, Simon Alexander Bird, need your help to smooth out the wrinkles in that paper, and discover the incredible work of art that has been drawn there all along, hidden from our eyes until now. I would like to discuss the issues of today, like the death penalty, immigration, gender equality, and education and how I am going to make those issues better. Most of the people in these situations are 2nd class…

Words 1016 - Pages 5

Abolishing the Death Penalty Essay

Language, Period 2 March 17, 2013 Abolishing the Death Penalty Since the beginning of mankind, people have been held accountable for their actions. Many societies throughout history have used death as a punishment for crimes, from Babylon to China to Rome to Britain (Reggio). Recently, societies have been questioning the effectiveness of the death penalty. In fact, only two European countries (Belarus and Russia) still allow the death penalty, and death sentences are extremely rare in Russia ("Abolitionist…

Words 1936 - Pages 8

Juvenile Death Penalty Essay

Juvenile Death Penalty One of the most controversial questions in the juvenile justice system today is, "Should the death penalty be applied to juveniles?”. A lot of people think that the death penalty for juveniles is cruel and unusual punishment and should only be used for adults. The crimes that juveniles commit are as dangerous and as violent as adult crimes. People argue that the adolescent brain does not mature until the late teens or early twenties, and that death penalty should not be the…

Words 1353 - Pages 6

Research Paper Death Penalty

Amanda Armas Research Paper English 114 April 28, 2013 Which side will you choose? Today in America and around the world Capital Punishment, also known as the death penalty is a prominent issue being talked about. The death penalty has continued to be a controversial issue within the United States. The death penalty is the killing of a person as a legal punishment for the commitment of what are known as capital crimes. Whether it is being talked about or not, it is an issue that is impacting…

Words 1901 - Pages 8