Capital Punishment
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Capital Punishment: the sentencing to death of people who commit certain federal offenses. It is society's way of dealing with murderers. But, should the government have the right and responsibility of taking the life of an individual who has been found guilty of certain crimes? Is this a just way of handling criminals?
The death penalty has been around for a long time, but when did it first appear in America? The first known records of the death penalty in the United States occurred in Charlestown in 1648 when a "witch" was hanged to death. This had been occurring more and more, and eventually, the Salem Witch Trials had entered the scene. Following each trial, a so-called witch was put to death by hanging, often in front of a large crowd.
But how did the death penalty end up in the United States? The death penalty laws came from English law...