Imagine if we still had and enforced these types of deaths today, and you think a firing squad is bad. The most notorious death during this time was that of Socrates, who was accused of heresy, or belief in something different than your superiors, and the corruption of youth. Socrates was forced to drink poison, which killed him within minutes. Mosaic Law led the way in enforcing capital crime and what constitutes the death penalty. Jewish people during this time used many inhumane ways of punishing their law breaking citizens. They would often stone, hang, behead, crucify, as well as throw the criminal off a rock. .
Jesus Christ was one of these that fell under Mosaic Law proclaiming the he was King of the Jews. They did not take this lightly, therefore crucifying him to a cross with two other thieves. This began a long period of Christians being persecuted for their belief in Jesus and proclaiming his gospel. Not until somewhat three hundred years later did Constantine put an end to this when he became a Christian himself. He also abolished crucifixion and the death penalty itself during his reign. .
Stay with me, we're almost to the U.S.A. little do we know, but Britain paved the way for us as far as the death penalty goes. We were majorly influenced by their decisions and ideas on crime. But what did you expect from a country who basically founded what we know as the United States that we live in today. Now onto the U.S.A. The first execution, not legal but first, happened in 1608 with the killing of George Kendall. In 1612 Divine, Moral, and Martial law was established by Virginia's Governor. This made the death penalty punishable to such crimes as stealing, killing animals, or the trade of Indians. These laws were later reconsidered due to the lack of inhabitants in the Virginia Colony. .
In 1622, Daniel Frank was executed in the state of Virginia. This was the first legal execution of a criminal in the United States, according to deathpenalty.
