Terrorism

Throughout history, statistics have proven that Capital

Punishment or otherwise known as the death penalty, has been

an effective deterrent of major crime. Capital Punishment is the

lawful infliction of death among criminals and has been used to

punish a wide variety of offenses for many years all over the

world (Bedau 16). When the death penalty is enforced, it shows

society that committing a capital crime has deadly consequences.

In early times, many methods of Capital Punishment were

used to deter a variety of crimes. For over a century, the uniform

method for executing persons in America was hanging, although

starvation was very common also. There were exceptions which

included spies, traitors, and deserters who would face a firing

squad. Then in 1888, New York directed the construction of an

"electric chair" (Flanders 11). It was believed that the new

harnessed power of electricity would prove to be a more scientific

and humane means of execution. The first electrocution took place

2

in New York in 1890.

In the past, capital crimes were much different than they are

now. Robbery and the selling of alcohol to underage customers

was