Preview

Capital Punishment Research Paper

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2259 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Capital Punishment Research Paper
Learn From History The first established laws of capital punishment trace back to the eighteenth century B.C.E. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. An examining of the accounts of capital punishment starting with Hammurabi and continuing through the present demonstrates that the punishment’s history follows a trend. Throughout the course of history, the trend of capital punishment has gone from its devaluing of human life to its being protective of human life; historically, a completely innocent person was put to death for something as minor as holding a belief, whereas presently only the most heinous crimes merit such punishment. Capital punishment has gone through countless revolutions as human intelligence has advanced. The advancement of human intelligence led to increased focus on the preciousness of human life. As human life becomes closer to being considered priceless, the belief that no crime can justify the intentional killing of its perpetrator continues to gain popularity. This belief indicates that complete abolishment of capital punishment is approaching. In the United States, capital punishment was first instituted for even mirror crimes, but has progressed to being used conservatively, evidence of the approaching conclusion of the trend of Capital Punishment: complete abolishment. Comparing the similar histories of capital punishment between the United States and France also suggests the complete abolishment of capital punishment. The first colony established in America was Jamestown in 1607. The long history of capital punishment in America began shortly after the arrival of the colonizers of Jamestown in 1608. Captain George Kendall is known as the first recorded person to be executed in America. Kendall was revealed as a spy for Spain, the reason for his execution (Frontline: the execution...). Treason, a crime punishable by death in all colonies, did not infer colonies were governed by a uniform code of laws regarding


Cited: Anckar, Carsten. Determinants of the Death Penalty: A Comparative Study of the World (Routledge Research in Comparative Politics). New York: Routledge, 2004. "capital punishment: History” Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. — Infoplease.com. 19 Nov. 2008 . "Crimes Punishable by the Death Penalty” | Death Penalty Information Center. Google. 19 Nov. 2008 . "Death Penalty: 25 Years After Abolition, France Fosters Uncertainty." IPS Inter Press Service. 19 Nov. 2008 . "Death Penalty in the United States." US Politics - Guide To The US presidential election, legislation, and political news and opinion. 19 Nov. 2008 . “Death Penalty Information Center "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The Espy File” r. 19 Nov. 2008 . "frontline: the execution: readings: history of the death penalty." Google. 19 Nov. 2008 . “Death Penalty Information Center "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The Espy File” r. 19 Nov. 2008 . "The Colonial Laws of New York." Google Book Search. 19 Nov. 2008 . Zimring, Franklin E.. The Contradictions of American Capital Punishment (Studies in Crime and Public Policy). New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2004.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary: the Changing Nature of Death Penalty Debates.
    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Summary: the Changing Nature of Death Penalty Debates.

    In this paper, the authors examine how the death penalty argument has changed in the last 25 years in the United States. They examine six specific issues: deterrence, incapacitation, caprice and bias, cost innocence and retribution; and how public opinion has change regarding these issues. They argue that social science research is changing the way Americans view the death penalty and suggest that Americans are moving toward an eventual abolition of the death penalty.…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Are Ernest Van Den Haag's Arguments Against The Death Penalty
    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages

    What Are Ernest Van Den Haag's Arguments Against The Death Penalty

    Capital Punishment is regarded as one of the United States' hottest topics. Those for and against it constantly debate over the various issues that capital punishment brings forth. This essay explains just a few of these topics and my view on the death penalty.…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Assessment Artifact: The Death Penalty
    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Assessment Artifact: The Death Penalty

    Apart from a short time in the mid-to-late 20th century when a freeze on capital punishment was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court, this system of punishment has been in constant use in the United States for most of its history. Proponents and opponents have always been at odds over whether the practice should be continued or abolished completely. Lining up on one side are those who believe that the practice deters crime and is cheaper than warehousing a criminal for life in a maximum-security prison and lining up on the other side are those that believe the practice is inhumane and fraught with inconsistencies which make it antiquated and a barbaric form of punishment. Even though the United States…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Louis Pojman In Defense Of The Death Penalty Analysis
    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Louis Pojman In Defense Of The Death Penalty Analysis

    The history of the death penalty can be traced back in time all the way to the fifth century B.C. through Roman’s Law of the Twelve Tablets, where people would be put to death through crucifixion, drowning, and even by being burnt alive.. From there it can be found in seventh B.C.’s Draconian Code, and even in eighteenth century B.C. through the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, in which twenty-five various crimes would lead to the death penalty (Part I, 2015). Though the crimes punishable under the death penalty and the methods of which the death penalty have changed over time, the ideology behind the method still stands the same: An eye for an eye. The argument for the death penalty stands that those who commit a crime such as capital murder should be punished the same way that they punished their victim: by death. However, while this ethical principle may sound clear and cut on paper, the stance-both for and against-and methodology behind the death penalty is much more complicated than that.…

    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    8th Amendment Bars Cruel And Unusual Punishment
    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    8th Amendment Bars Cruel And Unusual Punishment

    Bedau, Hugo A., and others. "Reasonable Doubts: The Growing Movement Against the Death Penalty." American Prospect Vol.15 No.7, Jul 2004, pp. A1-A23. SIRS Issues Researcher, http://sks.sirs.com.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Ac 322 Capital Punishment Research Paper
    • 2611 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Ac 322 Capital Punishment Research Paper

    When understanding criminal law it is important to consider the positive and negative effects that different punishment alternatives can have. Over the last century the use of capital punishment, the legal process for which an individual is sentence to death when found guilty of committing a crime, has been a subject debated back and forth between government parties on its effectiveness. Many people believe that the issues of fairness, constitutionality, morality of an individual’s life, and potential of convicting the innocent are too important to allow the use of the…

    • 2611 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Capital Punishment In The 1800s
    • 1271 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Capital Punishment In The 1800s

    Introduction Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is defined as the physical execution of a person by the state as punishment for a crime. The existence of the death penalty dates as early as the eighteenth century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon. The code outlines twenty-five different crimes for which the death penalty was applied. At this time, the means by which the death penalty was enacted included crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. However, by the tenth century A.D., hanging became the primary execution method in Britain.…

    • 1271 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    8th Amendment Essay
    • 2118 Words
    • 9 Pages

    8th Amendment Essay

    Beginning with the history of capital punishment, this paper will explore the Supreme Court cases, which have addressed issues such as whether the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment.…

    • 2118 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Death Penalty
    • 4048 Words
    • 17 Pages

    Death Penalty

    Thesis: Capital punishment is useless as a deterrent, morally indefensible, discriminatory in practice, and prone to errors that may have led to the execution of wrongfully convicted people. Its continuing legality in the United States is critically undermining American moral stature around the world. The Supreme Court should bring the United States in line with the rest of the civilized world and hold that death is a cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. Summary: The death penalty process consumes tremendous amounts of money and resources and fails to deter criminal activity. It is not uniformly applied geographically, and where it is allowed, it is used in an often arbitrary and racist manner. As a result, states have been curtailing the use of the death penalty, the Supreme Court has limited its application, and both death sentences and executions are down sharply. This is at odds with the recent efforts of some states to expand the range of capital crimes, and with national polls which still reflect a clear majority of Americans favor capital punishment. Meanwhile, momentum has been accelerating in the international community to abolish the death penalty, and the United States is increasingly criticized for failing to keep in step with other civilized nations in this area. Capital Punishment in the United States Since the 1977 resumption of capital punishment in the United States, nearly 1,100 convicted prisoners have been put to death in the thirty-eight US states where the practice remains legal. As of the beginning of 2007, approximately 3,350 people remain on death row in American prisons. In recent years, the evidence has shown that the death penalty process consumes tremendous amounts of money and resources and fails to deter criminals. FBI Uniform Crime…

    • 4048 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Anti-Death Penalty Movement In The United States
    • 1545 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Anti-Death Penalty Movement In The United States

    Stetker, C. S., & Stetker, J. M. (2010). Capital Punishment: A century of discontinuous debate. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 100(3), 643-689.…

    • 1545 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    History Of Capital Punishment In The United States
    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages

    History Of Capital Punishment In The United States

    Capital punishment has been a topic that has been talked about for ages. It has been an issue in the adjudication process since the first execution took place in the United States of America in 1608 (Schneider & Smykia, 1991). Today, cases are being brought before the courts constantly, and they are forced to decide what exactly is “cruel and unusual punishment” in accordance with the eighth amendment. This paper will be looking at how the death penalty has evolved and developed in the United States. It will also be evaluating the effects of the death penalty and looking at the issues that are being faced today in regards to capital punishment. Also, does the death penalty have a place in the future for America?…

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Is the Death Penalty Constitutional?
    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Is the Death Penalty Constitutional?

    Capital Punishment has been a topic of debate in America since the 17th century. Although many abiding citizens oppose the death penalty, there are many ways for them to feel this way. However, there are also various supporting reasons for 38 states to consider Capital Punishment as very effective. Some of the pros involved in this long-fought debate are justice, closure for victims’ families, cost of inmates, deterrence, and punishment that is equal to the crime which was committed. In opposition, some of the cons are cost of execution, humanity, morality, religion, and unnecessary pain for the family of the executed prisoner.…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Death Penalty In America
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Death Penalty In America

    This paper will examine the historical foundations, uses and the contemporary issues of the death penalty in America. It will go into where the death penalty came from and how it is used differently throughout the states. Understanding why America uses the death penalty. Outlines many issues caused by America using the death penalty. Discussing the different methods of execution and various laws adopted by various states.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Death Penalty In The United States
    • 2843 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Death Penalty In The United States

    The death penalty in the United States is a constant source of controversy. Efforts to abolish capital punishment in America date back to over 100 years and continue to expand in present-day. In addition, all 50 states vary in their retention and application of the death penalty. Currently, the death penalty is legal in 32 states, the distribution of the actual executions however, is quite wide. The five states with the highest number of executions performed account for approximately 65% of the total executions in the country since the US Supreme Court re-affirmed and reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state of Texas alone is responsible for almost 37% of the country’s executions. In contrast,…

    • 2843 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Thesis Statement For Death Penalty Research Paper
    • 2185 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Thesis Statement For Death Penalty Research Paper

    Capital punishment, known as the death penalty is punishment by death and is reserved for the most heinous of crimes. The first known death penalty execution in what would later become the United States, was in 1608, when Captain George Kendell was executed by firing squad for being a spy for Spain (Waksman, 2012).…

    • 2185 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics