Examples Of Authenticity Essay
Authenticity Essay During the 16th and early 17th Century there were few detailed accounts of commoners’ lives in London, England leaving a gap in historical records. Such a gap was not just about the commoners, but the perspectives of the entire society, cultural norms of that era, and even business. However, the insight into London during the late 17th century through the 18th Century came from the criminal literature like the “criminal biographies, last dying speeches, Newsgate accounts and trial accounts” from Old Bailey (Emsley, Hitchcock and Shoemaker, “Publishing History”). This provided the most insightful information into the Old Bailey Session House proceedings, due to the trials being documented by reporters writing to inform the
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Benjamin Jones’ testimony, witness and defense are significantly shorter and deemed almost as fact in terms of the trial account. An example is the line in the trial account that reads, “All that she has said of this ill usage, is a contrivance of Hunt's and her's, to make a property of me” (Old Bailey Online). The court does not seem to even cross-examine or question the alleged rapist’s testimony and the writer uses only a handful of paragraphs to express the prisoner’s firm voice and defense with a couple more paragraphs. This lack of defense makes the trial account seem unevenly balanced yet within these paragraphs the jury manages to acquit Jones on all accounts. Although the writer holds an objective view, the main reasoning for not elaborating on the defense alludes to the idea that the defense was shorter and in that small amount of time and evidence proved to the courts satisfactory that he was innocent or, at least, that the woman was lying about her consent. The view that a white man of property, that is married with children can be taken at his word alone, while a woman in the 18th century was not considered trustworthy. Men’s status was considered at a higher station than a woman’s and reading this through the trial account solidifies the writings
Benjamin Jones’ testimony, witness and defense are significantly shorter and deemed almost as fact in terms of the trial account. An example is the line in the trial account that reads, “All that she has said of this ill usage, is a contrivance of Hunt's and her's, to make a property of me” (Old Bailey Online). The court does not seem to even cross-examine or question the alleged rapist’s testimony and the writer uses only a handful of paragraphs to express the prisoner’s firm voice and defense with a couple more paragraphs. This lack of defense makes the trial account seem unevenly balanced yet within these paragraphs the jury manages to acquit Jones on all accounts. Although the writer holds an objective view, the main reasoning for not elaborating on the defense alludes to the idea that the defense was shorter and in that small amount of time and evidence proved to the courts satisfactory that he was innocent or, at least, that the woman was lying about her consent. The view that a white man of property, that is married with children can be taken at his word alone, while a woman in the 18th century was not considered trustworthy. Men’s status was considered at a higher station than a woman’s and reading this through the trial account solidifies the writings