Argumentative Essay On Death Penalty History

The death penalty in the U.S. has been and continues to be a controversial debate between citizens. Debate regarding the policies, laws and if the death penalty is the best way to punish offenders who commit violent crimes. The history of the death penalty in the United States dates back to the late 1970s. Between 1968 and 1977 there were no executions in the United States. In the Supreme Court case of Furman v. Georgia, the court ruled that capital punishment, as it currently employed on the state and federal level is unconstitutional (Jones, 2006). The Eighth Amendment states that any form of capital punishment qualifies as “cruel and unusual punishment.” The use of executions during this time was primarily based on race and was considered by the Supreme Court as “arbitrary and capricious.”
History
The Furman v. Georgia decision of the Supreme Court was the first time in history where a higher court had ruled against capital punishment. However, the Supreme Court later suggested new legislation that overturned the ruling that capital punishment was cruel and unusual (Bohm, 1997). Opponents for the death penalty were elated. Executions such as drownings, crucifixions and burning at the stake were carried out for things
A drastic drop in executions occurred between 1940 and 1966 which caused the supporters of the death penalty to have a 42% drop (Bohm, 1999 and BJS, 1997). The 1970s brought about suspension of the death penalty along with the retraction of several statues. However, the late 70s reinstated the death penalty with several important events such as the case of Gregg v. Georgia, Oklahoma being the first state to adopt lethal injection as a form of capital punishment and the upholding of the 1977 case of Coker v. Georgia that found it unconstitutional for capital punishment for a rape of an adult woman if she is not killed (BJS,