by Lanae

Created on: December 17, 2008

The very first laws recorded that established death penalties date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. In the Code of King Hammurabi's of Babylon there are specifically codified the death penalties for twenty-five different crimes. The death penalty can be traced from that point, moving on in history to the Fourteenth Century B.C. in Hittite's Code and then even further in the Seventh Century B.C.'s Draconian Code of Athens. Draconian Code made death the only punishment for any and all crimes. Everything from murder to stealing a loaf of bread would result in death.

Some types of execution recorded in the Fifth Century B.C.'s Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets include crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. (www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/history) By the Tenth Century A.D Britain made laws that no one could be hanged except during war times. Unfortunate for criminals though, when King Henry VIII gained power capital punishment again became, at this point in popular, the commonly used methods of execution favored by King Henry including boiling, burning at the stake, beheading, and drawing and quartering. Luckily, for American criminals in the 21st century, we have come a long way since King Henry's time and we now outlaw his tastes in execution.

History proves that men of every station and every caliber have found certain acts to be so unacceptable as to warrant the capital punishment. It is indeed lucky for modern criminals that they can now get away with any crime but murder and still feel secure that their lives will be spared, even if that life is spent serving a prison sentence. Those who commit murder however, have a different option that faces them. They are liable to be sentenced to death for their acts just as men have been since the Eighteenth century B.C. Our methods of execution have become more humane, just as many areas and issues have been equalized over time. Yet, though form of conduct is arguable and is subject to change, the primary codes of ethics and morals themselves have not changed since King Hammauribi studied them in Babylon. If someone chooses to kill another, they too should suffer the same fate.

Very few of the United States implements the death penalty as form of punishment for their criminals. Those states that do use capital punishment do so very rarely. In the past thirty years, twenty-nine states have set executions in fewer than three cases. Statistically, Texas is the state that uses death as

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