The Shadow of the Gallows: The History of Capital Punishment in America

Speaker: Mike Dixon

Suitable for Schools · Grades 9–12

History • Ethics • Delaware

The historical, legal, and ethical evolution of capital punishment in the United States is complex. This program examines public executions—particularly in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic—from the era when the sheriff was the county executioner to the modern era, highlighting key reforms as the nation debated the abolition of the death penalty and sought more humane methods of execution. Throughout, it analyzes the shifting historical, cultural, legal, and ethical factors that influenced the nation’s approach to capital punishment.