procon.org. Different states and colonies have their own ideas on the subject, and others jumped aboard the death penalty train later down the road. In the Massachusetts Bay the first execution wasn't until 1630. Later on 1780, they changed their beliefs and only recognized seven capital crimes punishable by death, which were as followed; murder, sodomy, burglary, rape, arson, and treason. This comes from the ideas found in the Old Testament found in the Bible. New York had their own ideas, but somewhat of the same ideology of the previous states. .
In 1665, the decided that denial of God, pre meditated murder, sodomy, kidnapping, perjury, and hitting ones parents were all punishable to death. Two states that never jumped aboard where South Jersey and Pennsylvania. These two states stated that there was no crime possible that should be punished by death. The list goes on and on, these were a few of the founding states that were front runners in Capital Punishment. Eventually every state adopted some sort of the death penalty and tweaked it to their liking. But with every good or new idea, you always have those who want to challenge or question its effectiveness. .
The first reforms came in 1776 when Thomas Jefferson and some fellow colleagues, with authority from the Government, proposed a revision of current Virginia law. Their revision changed such things dealing with what constituted the punishment of death at its core. They suggested that the death penalty only be recommended for those who had committed treason and/or murder. After a very angry and hasty debate, the legislature defeated the reform by one vote upholding the current law. This angered and frustrated many people among the colonies. In return many different organizations began to form in the effort to abolish the death penalty and poor living conditions of the prisons.
A huge leap forward was made when Dr. Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia Resident, published An Enquiry How Far the Punishment of Death is Necessary in Pennsylvania.
