The History of Capital Punishment

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Capital punishment is the killing of a person by a government as punishment for a crime committed. Typical crimes punishable by capital punishment range from murder related crimes like in the United States (Amnesty International, 2013) to homosexuality in some countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Uganda (Rupar, 2014) and refusal to renounce Christianity in an Islamic state in Sudan (Dixon, 2014). In the year 2012, 21 countries recorded state sponsored executions, with the total executions in the world in ranging in the thousands, due to the undocumented executions performed in China and about 75% of all executions in the world occurred in the three countries of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. (Amnesty International, 2013). The use of capital punishment has been a practice that have been performed as far back as the beginning of human society. According to Michael H. Reggio’s “History of the Death Penalty”, the Code of King Hammurabi in Babylon, in the eighteenth century B.C., defined twenty-five crimes punishable by death, even though murder was not included as one of these crimes. Capital punishment for the fifth century B.C. Romans was used for punishing people who performed libel, burning a stack of corn near a house, theft by a slave, murder of a free man or a parent, among others (Reggio, 1997). Many of these punishments were also cruel and unusual, such as crucifixion and impalement (Biblical Archeology Society Staff, 2011). By the time of the American Revolution in 1776, the British colonies all had laws against crimes like arson, piracy, treason, murder, sodomy, burglary, and rape that were punishable by death (Reggio, 1997). During this time, many philosophers and political figures, like Thomas Jefferson and Cesare Bec... ... middle of paper ... ...naltycurriculum.org/student/c/about/history/history-1.htm Nguyen, A. (2001, December 19). Bill Clinton's Death Penalty Waffle --. The American Prospect. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://prospect.org/article/bill-clintons-death-penalty-waffle O'Connor, T. (2011, October 20). Ethics Theories. MegaLinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.drtomoconnor.com/3300/3300lect01a.htm Reggio, M. History of the Death Penalty. Frontline: The Execution. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/execution/readings/history.html Rupar, T. (2014, February 24). Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death. Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/24/here-are-the-10-countries-where-homosexuality-may-be-punished-by-death/

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