Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Example

The Death Penalty: An Informational Essay The death penalty in the United States stretches back to the earliest permanent settlement in the New World. “Part I: History of the Death Penalty” affirms that “The first recorded execution in the new colonies was that of Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608.” Just twenty-four years later, in 1632, “Jane Champion became the first woman executed in the new colonies. (Part I: History of the Death Penalty)” As time progressed, the death penalty remained the punishment for crimes in the country. However, laws became less strict and the death penalty was used fewer and fewer crimes as time moved forward. In the present, capital punishment is a heavily debated topic. The Supreme Court has ruled on several cases related to capital punishment, and groups nationally dispute the validity of the death penalty in a developed country such as the United States. The death penalty has undergone many drastic changes during its long history. “Part I: A History of the Death Penalty” states that under the early laws, “Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement.” Since then, the ways of carrying out capital punishment have evolved to more efficient and generally cheaper means. “In the Tenth Century A.D., hanging became the usual method of execution in Britain. (Part I: History of the Death Penalty)” Since then methods such as death by firing squad, electrocution, cyanide gas, and lethal injection have been carried out worldwide. “Lethal injection is now virtually the universal method of execution in the United States . . .. (Lethal Injection)” Unifying a system, even one such as the death penalty, is very important for those in favor of the death penalty. A chaotic system is easily argued against, but becomes increasingly difficult to criticize if the system is used everywhere. Increasing tension is mounting in the debate