The Use of the Death Penalty in Modern Society - Essay Example

The death penalty has found a place in the history of man from a very long time back. The death penalty has been used by society as a punishment for very severe crimes, like murder or acts against society, like treason. The death penalty is also seen as a deterrent to such severe crimes, as the fear of death is likely to prevent an individual from committing severe crimes. In spite of the long history of the death penalty, severe crimes continue to plague societies and the use of the death penalty is no longer popular.  History of the Death Penalty in Massachusetts The history of the death penalty in Massachusetts begins in 1630 when the death penalty was used for the crime of murder. John Billington murdered John Newcomen and was executed for this crime.

The last time the death penalty was used in Massachusetts was in 1947 when Phillip Bellino and Edward Gertson were executed for the murder of Robert William. During the period from 1630 to 1947, the death penalty was used about 345 times. (1). Opposition to the death penalty started early in the nineteenth century, which became very active in the 1840s. The opposition to the death penalty was led by the Quakers, Unitarians, liberal Christians, and other social reformers. The abolitionists did not succeed with their efforts to remove the death penalty. (2). Till 1951 the death penalty was the mandatory punishment for the crime of first-degree murder.

In 1951 changes in the law allowed the jury to decide whether the death penalty should be given or not based on their discretion unless the murder took place along with rape. The death penalty remained mandatory in such cases. In the period between the 1970s and the 1980s, there were a set of judicial rulings that led to the end of the death penalty in Massachusetts. Since then there have been several attempts to reinstate the death penalty in the state of Massachusetts, but these efforts have failed.