Colonial Punishment

The purpose The foundation of colonial punishment was humiliation. This often deterred people from committing crimes (what does this deter mean?) Is this different than today? How?

The Stocks The stocks were a frame of timber with holes. Offenders sat on low bench with feet or hands extended and confined. Offenders (minor crimes): wife-beaters, thieves, hedge-tearers, vagrants, Sabbath- breakers, gamblers, drunkards, fortune tellers, and a variety of other offenders. The first offender to be placed in the new stocks in Boston was the carpenter who made them; he overcharged the city for his work. The second offender was punished for having two wives-- he was sentenced to sit in stocks for one hour each day for two days “so that he could be plainly seen by every maid and widow in town, that there might be no wife number three.”

The Pillory The pillory was a platform w/ framework above-- it was fashioned to confine the head and hands in a tight grip. Reasons for being sentenced to pillory were similar to stocks:  A politician, for endeavoring to prevent the will of God by putting in several votes for himself  Putting large sums of money in the contribution box in meeting to induce others to give largely and then taking the gift back  Dishonest bakers, set with dough on their heads  A woman, for stealing stockings  For passing counterfeit money.  Hog stealing: if it’s your 2 nd offense your ears are nailed to the board then cut off after two hours. What?? (3 rd offense = death)

Branding Hot iron in shape of a letter seared the skin….ssssssssssssssssssssssssssss Public branding was common while in the pillory. SL on either cheek for seditious libel (rumors) M on the forehead manslaughter R on the shoulder for rouge or vagabond. F on the hand for forger B on the hand for burglar I for selling arms/powder to the Indians. Ouch!

The Ducking Stool A chair was attached to a post on the bank of a pond/river– chair hung just over water Offender was plunged into water as many times as sentence called for You might be dipped into the water if you were a…  Slanderer  Brawler  Unruly pauper  Brewer of bad beer  Baker of bad bread  Quarrelsome married couples tied back to back

Public Penance This is a public confession, usually done in front of the entire church congregation. Confessors were sometimes forced to sit facing the congregation during the entire church service after confessing their crime. Very humiliating!

Now I need three volunteers…. Be Careful- It could get a bit scary….

The Scarlet Letter Various initials were required to be worn by offenders. B = Blasphemous D = Drunkenness for males. A wanton gospeller (interrupting the preacher) for females A = Adulteress

Whipping The whipping post was a place where people were beaten in public– (see picture: in this case, the offender was tied to a rolling cart and made to walk through town while being whipped). Usually not more than 40 lashes Common offenses: stealing bread, lying, name-calling, picking pockets, littering, shooting guns/fowl on the Sabbath Day, swearing, and leaving a boat "without a pylott."

Death Penalty There were five crimes that were immediately punishable by death in Plymouth. They were…  treason or rebellion  "Willful" murder  Making a compact with Satan, including witchcraft  Arson of houses or ships  rape

Different recorded punishments Take the case of a Southeastern Virginia man who was found guilty of just making a ``detracting speech'' about the governor. Having been found guilty as charged, the governor's critic was disarmed and arrested, after which his arms were broken and his tongue bored through with an awl. If that weren't enough, he was forcibly passed through a gauntlet of 40 men who ``butted'' him until he reached the ``head of the troop.'' There, he was ``kicked down'' for good measure and banished from the county. The fact that the accused was punished publicly and humiliated hardly would have raised an eyebrow in those days as justice was usually quick and physically severe.

More examples For something such as public drunkenness, one hapless fellow was sentenced to stand at the door of a church ``with a great pot tyed about his neck, thereby signifying the merit of his offense for being drunk...,'' according to Norfolk County court records.

And… more… Perjury was considered a very serious crime for which one could have both ears ``nailed to the pillory, and cut off, and receive thirty nine lashes on your back, well laid on at the county's common whipping post.''

Finally Other crimes list caning, dismembering, riding the wooden horse, quartering, cropping, iron collars, running the gauntlet, ducking and dragging at boats' sterns as suitable punishment. Of course, for murder there was hanging.