Trial and Error: Capital Punishment in U.S. History
   the death penalty, as well as issues of discrimination in its
   debates over capital punishment, examining legislative efforts to both
   limit and allow the death penalty, attempts to make the process more
   The death penalty has not been a constant in American history. It has
   Revolution, some legislators removed the death penalty as punishment
   In the 1840s reformers called for the elimination of the death penalty.
   in the world to remove the death penalty altogether. Historian Louis
   Masur has argued in Rites of Execution : Capital Punishment and
   the death penalty in a way that disturbs many people today.
   abandoned the death penalty. However, in the aftermath of World War I,
   five of these nine restored capital punishment, and in the 1930s, two
   capital punishment, but have not charged anyone under them.
   death penalty, the reaction following World War II was different. In
   were African-American. The end of the death penalty was consistent with
   the death penalty, and between 1967 and 1972 there were no executions
   Furman, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was
   in the case argued that the death penalty was unconstitutional under
   Many thought that this was the end of the death penalty. The State
   Brennan's, also found capital punishment unconstitutional.
   the death penalty's return. These dissenters held that the death
   passing legislation that made capital punishment appear to be fairly
   legislature had insured that the death penalty was equitably
   other states could once again utilize capital punishment.
   Spenkelink. Pro-death penalty politicians who campaigned as "tough on
   the death penalty from the charge of institutional racism. After
   California and New Jersey restored the death penalty, and thirty-eight
   of the fifty states now have capital punishment laws. Some states use
   them frequently. Since the Supreme Court restored the death penalty,
   death penalty.
   Prior to 1996, state primarily used the death penalty, but in that year
   Congress stipulated that many federal crimes merited the death penalty.
   Federal prosecutors have sought the death penalty in a case in
   There are many questions about the death penalty. Should a retarded
   death penalty cases are illiterate, of moderate intelligence, and in
   death penalty in criminal cases. This is a large responsibility to
   seeking election in an area where the death penalty is popular. That
   popularity seems to be enhanced by the fact that death penalty
   supporter of the death penalty, has called a moratorium on executions
   likely continue to uphold the constitutionality of the death penalty.
   ardent supporter of the death penalty, as is John Ashcroft, Bush's
   Death penalty supporters put forth a number of arguments to support
   in the minds of those advocating the death penalty. Many see it as
   death penalty is that it deters others from committing crime. Study
   almost alone in its use of the death penalty. Since the death penalty
   U.S. shares the practice of capital punishment with such countries as
   There is more debate about the death penalty today than at any time in
   voted to abolish the death penalty, only to have the governor veto the
   penalty, there is no detailed history of the death penalty from the
   Death Penalty Information Center
   involving the death penalty in present-day Georgia and Alabama.