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1800 BCE
The Beginning of the Death Penalty
The death penalty dates back as far as the eighteenth century BC. The death penalty in America originates from Britain. At the time 222 crimes where considered punishable by death, some including stealing grapes and cutting down trees. -
First Person Executed
The first person in America to receive the death penalty was a named Captain George Kendall. He was punished to death by being a spy for Spain. -
First US Congress Establishes Federal Death Penalty
In addition to treason and counterfeiting documents, crimes consisting of murder, disfigurement, and robbery.https://deathpenalty.procon.org/historical-timeline/ -
President Clinton signs 1994 crime bill
In 1994 President Clinton signs the crime bill. This added sixty new crimes which the death penalty could be imposed on. Some including large scale drug trafficking, terrorist homicides, drive by shootings and carjacking's. -
Texas and Governor George W. Bush
During the year 2000, Texas executed 452 inmates. This was over 150 men and 2 women. These numbers were the highest rates sense the death penalty was reinstated. -
Judges, not juries
The supreme court ruled that it should be he judges and not the juries who decide on if someone should receive the death penalty. The judges could decided on life imprisonment or death penalty after hearing the juries opinion. -
Under the age of 18
Giving the punishment of the death penalty to someone who is under the age of 18 is ruled unconstitutional. This ruling overturned a case in 1989, when the person was 16 or 17 at the time of the crime. This would be considered a cruel and unusual punishment. -
Lethal Injections
The supreme court rules that lethal injections as constitutional. The Kentucky Supreme Court argued that giving lethal injections would not cause the person a lingering death. -
Decline of the death penalty
Sense the death penalty become a thing, it has gone down drastically. The death penalty peaked in 1994 with 80 percent of people for it. In 2013, the death penalty had about 60 percent of people for it. -
Current States
Currently there are 27 states that capital punishment is currently authorized in. Each state has their own way of determining a reason to give this punishment to each criminal.