The Political Orphanage (Sneak Peak) From Branding to the Electric Chair
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Oct 10, 2025 Explore the chilling history of cruel and unusual punishments, from branding horse thieves to the dramatic execution of William Wallace. Discover how notions of cruelty evolved, influenced by the English Bill of Rights and America’s Eighth Amendment. Delve into why economic factors and sadistic practices shaped punishment methods, and learn about the intriguing literacy loopholes that altered offenders' fates. Uncover the distinctions between structured punishments and arbitrary torture, shedding light on how history informs contemporary interpretations of justice.
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History Of Branding Punishments
- Andrew Heaton recounts historic branding practices from Rome through colonial America as concrete examples of past punishments.
- Heaton describes letters like M, B, R, and F branded on people and explains colonial variations like A for adulterer and SL for seditious libel.
Benefit Of Clergy And Branding
- Heaton tells how literacy offered a legal loophole: clerics avoided hanging and were instead branded under the benefit of clergy rule.
- He explains colonial US branding specifics like T for thief and forehead T for stealing on the Sabbath.
Constitutional Ban vs. Local Practices
- The Eighth Amendment banned cruel and unusual punishments even while many states still used harsh corporal penalties for decades.
- Heaton notes Pennsylvania kept ear-cutting and branding laws until 1860 despite the Constitution's protections.