The 20th Century, pages 134-188

Summary: Execution in the 21st century has been very controversial. Some states support the death penalty, while others don't. After many pain full years the guillotine was abolished in 1981. The electric chair is known as t"Sparky", "The Hot Squat" and "Old Smokey. I t was first used in New York on August 6, 1980. Thew gas chamber was first used in 1936. It takes about 18 minutes for the body to give up its life. About 35 states have been using lethal injection since 1977. It provides a slow, and quiet death to the criminal. Firing squads were very common in Mexico. There are more than thousands of people on death row. About one in fifty teenagers are on death row. There are not a lot of people ion death row in Asia, compared to America. In Japan there are approximately 50 people on death row. Drugs are taken very seriously, so smugglers face very harsh consequences. There are state-sponsored tortures. Chain gangs had to do a lot of hard work. Prison conditions vary from place to place. There are a lot of gangs, and rivalry fights between the gangs, poor living conditions, drug smuggling and more. Some people, in government and out have planned and and done crimes against the state. Lynchings have been around for hundreds of years, they are all used for different reasons, but all have that one intention of killing someone.War crimes have played a huge part of WWI, WWII, and war crimes in Asia.

Quote:"Since 1985 more than 35 countries have scrapped capital punishment or restricted its application"(Kellaway 134).

Reflection: Torture and execution has transformed a lot, the modern punishments are completely different from how they are considered to be now. Some of the things done back then are probably illegal now, which is crazy. All of these transformations and progress show the growth and development of the world. I am still very confused as to why criminals have beds, shelter, and food while poor innocent people are forced to live on the streets.

A New World, Pages 88-133

Summary: Poor houses were used to supply and help the needy, men and women had separate wards. Some prisoners were clapped with irons, they were bound to furniture, walls and doors, left for days, weeks or even months. In Asylums intended to help mentally ill patients many people were thrown in the asylum; and subjected to the behaviors of the sane, and insane. These many problems led to prison reforms. Many people like Elizabeth Fry tried to help change these prisons with prison reforms. From silence and solitary it was hoped that criminals would've repented. Solitary confinement lasted for long periods of time, it left the victims helpless and agonizing. During the silences the victims created their own special hand languages and signed words to each other, they created new ways to speak to each other. Hulk ships were used during transportation to hold the prisoners captive. Hangmen were all called Jack Ketch, but most had different methods. Gallows were an advancement to hanging, there was a part of the floor that dropped, and the victims dropped as well, hanging by the rope leading to their deaths. Some people were even hung behind closed doors. Pirates and being accused of being a pirate was a serious issue, there were some serious consequences and death methods if you were caught. Slavery was a form of torture, and it has been around for many years and more years to come; there were many punishments and cruel torture. The army was disciplined also, they were whipped with swords, and lashes. Some navy discipline meant being shot, or strictly disciplined and punished. The guillotine had been along for a long time, but it was actually named in 1789, after it had been perfected by Dr. Joseph Guillotin. Many more advancements had come to the guillotine after it had been created.

Quote: "The abuses suffered, particularly by the burgeoning working classes created in the Industrial Revolution, were still intense"(Kellaway 88).

Reflection: This is told mostly from European counties and rules. Many types of punishments have been used. Some for thousands of years, and others hundreds. They all have huge affects on their victims.

Before The Age of Reason, Pages 36-86

Summary:

The Church wielded enormous power in the middle ages and did everything in its power to keep that position secure." An ax and block became popular from the 1500s to the 1700s. The ax was very hefty, the cut was forced and the killing was done by crushing. Several strikes were needed. Some beheaded were John Fisher and Lord Russell. The last victim of the ax was Lord Lovat, he died April 8, 1747 at Tower Hill. Also, during this time period swordsmen were used to execute convicts. A swordsman was dressed in a high horn shaped hat, with a tight black suit with a hefty sword. Like the one who executed queen Anne Boleyn. Prisoners hung at Tyburn were held at Newgate Prison in great Britain. Almost twenty four people were hung at a time, thousands were killed in total. The hangings were like fairs. There were a lot of people that came to see the criminal, especially if they were famous. Some 9,000 children died from drinking gin in celebration,. There was just a lot of commotion.There was no pleasure, but the gathering process and occurrences were interesting and fun to others. Executions had risen from hanging to drawing and quartering. Britain's Murder Act of 1752 permitted dead men to be hung by a chain. After this the gibbet was used, it was to make passer-byers fear doing bad things. Some victims of the gibbets were put in metal body cage on top of being exposed to everyone. Death by burning was abolished in Britain in 1790. Before than many people were burned. In 1349 about 2000 Jews were burned in Stratsbourg on St. Valentines Day. Water torture had been a new method of killed. Many people were ducked into water and others were boiled to death. Sometimes water was funneled down a victims throat, it was painful and provided a drowning feeling. Another form of torture was amputation, this was done to ensure hat the punishment for the crime was good enough. Criminals were often branded with their offenses. The pillory provided pain, and public shame to its victim. Most people were whipped, especially children at public schools in England. Some people were put in torture chambers. And some were even pressed to death, heavy weights would be placed on the abdomen causing pain and suffocation. There were about 100,00 deaths because of the witch hunts in Europe.

Quote: "The church wielded enormous power in the Middle Ages and did everything in its power to keep that position secure"(Kellaway 36).

Reflection: Many innocent people were killed. Not all these victims were criminals, some were innocent people who happened to say the wrong things. All of these punishments were harsh, and now when I think about it the criminals in jail are lucky they have to live in a place funded by the government instead of being harshly punished, tortured or killed.