19th century public executions in the U.S.A
Public executions in the U.S drew crowds just like in the U.K, but there was more diversity in the kinds of crowds depending on what part of the country you were in.
On one side of the spectrum there were relatively small quiet solemn crowds, unlike the great majority of crowds in the U.K, that held simple but stern long executions due to extensive praying, preachings of priests, and the general integration of religion into the process that was the custom of some places in the U.S. Religion and preachers took part in the U.K execution process as well, but it was normally between priest and the condemned.
On the opposite side of the spectrum in some parts of the country entire towns of excited people would come to view public executions. People would push and shove and quite frequently break into large fights to try to get the best view of the hanging or the corpse. Local merchants would go sell and advertise their products, the popular items being alcohol and souvenirs from the execution. Some people down on their luck financially, sustained themselves by traveling from execution to execution selling alcohol. Once the hanging was done people would rush to tear down the gallows or scaffold for pieces of wood, nails, rope, and the condemned's clothing, some for resources to get by on and some just for keepsakes. In all the heat of the fighting, and general intoxication, public fornication was said to a occur occasionally which in some instances influenced others to follow the same example, and in others those not involved in the act expressed great disgust and disapproval leading to more fights.
There was much more diversity in the behavior of crowds at public executions then there were in the U.K which mainly had one typical public execution crowd behavior. While certain areas of the U.S harbored public execution crowds with certain behaviors, crowds in these areas did not consistently behave one given way each time they gathered to see an execution. It was all relative to the crowds feelings towards who was being hanged and the crime that they were being put to death for.
In 1833 Rhode Island was the first state to end public executions and confine them to prison walls, 38 years before U.K ended public executions. Pennsylvania ended public executions the next year in 1834. Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey followed suit in 1835, and one by one, for well past the 19th century.
On one side of the spectrum there were relatively small quiet solemn crowds, unlike the great majority of crowds in the U.K, that held simple but stern long executions due to extensive praying, preachings of priests, and the general integration of religion into the process that was the custom of some places in the U.S. Religion and preachers took part in the U.K execution process as well, but it was normally between priest and the condemned.
On the opposite side of the spectrum in some parts of the country entire towns of excited people would come to view public executions. People would push and shove and quite frequently break into large fights to try to get the best view of the hanging or the corpse. Local merchants would go sell and advertise their products, the popular items being alcohol and souvenirs from the execution. Some people down on their luck financially, sustained themselves by traveling from execution to execution selling alcohol. Once the hanging was done people would rush to tear down the gallows or scaffold for pieces of wood, nails, rope, and the condemned's clothing, some for resources to get by on and some just for keepsakes. In all the heat of the fighting, and general intoxication, public fornication was said to a occur occasionally which in some instances influenced others to follow the same example, and in others those not involved in the act expressed great disgust and disapproval leading to more fights.
There was much more diversity in the behavior of crowds at public executions then there were in the U.K which mainly had one typical public execution crowd behavior. While certain areas of the U.S harbored public execution crowds with certain behaviors, crowds in these areas did not consistently behave one given way each time they gathered to see an execution. It was all relative to the crowds feelings towards who was being hanged and the crime that they were being put to death for.
In 1833 Rhode Island was the first state to end public executions and confine them to prison walls, 38 years before U.K ended public executions. Pennsylvania ended public executions the next year in 1834. Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey followed suit in 1835, and one by one, for well past the 19th century.