starter activity
Describe the picture or source here.
‘The Idle Prentice Executed at Tyburn’ (1747) by Hogarth how about public attitudes toward capital
punishment?
Read about the Bentley case & listen to the song about his execution by E.Costello. How far have attitudes changed between the 2 periods? What factors drove these changes?
How did How did attitudes towards attitudes towards the death penalty the death penalty
change?change?To gain an overview of To gain an overview of
changing attitudes towards changing attitudes towards capital punishmentcapital punishment
To identify and evaluate To identify and evaluate events & factors which led to events & factors which led to
changeschanges
Learning objectives
Key words:
Your taskYour task
Watch the clips from the BBC Watch the clips from the BBC ‘Timeshift’ documentary, ‘The Story ‘Timeshift’ documentary, ‘The Story of Capital Punishment’ and answer of Capital Punishment’ and answer the questions provided.the questions provided.
Pay particular attention to the views Pay particular attention to the views of historiansof historians
Your taskYour task
Read the extract from Vic Read the extract from Vic Gattrell’s Gattrell’s book, ‘The book, ‘The Hanging Tree’ (1996) and Hanging Tree’ (1996) and taketake note of the note of the following:following: According to Gatrell, what According to Gatrell, what characteristics characteristics
do many do many of those publically hanged shof those publically hanged share?are? How do figures for public How do figures for public hangings in hangings in
England England compare with foreign compare with foreign cocounterparts?unterparts?
What explains the ‘revWhat explains the ‘revolution’ (Gatrell) in olution’ (Gatrell) in public public attitudes to hanging?attitudes to hanging?
Your task Divide your page in two.
Gather evidence from Cumming, p. 74-5 showing that it was public attitudes on one side and that it was law makers on the other which led to the ending of capital punishment in Britain.
Visit the Learning Curve website and gather further evidence for your arguments
This house believes that is was changes in public attitudes more than government actions that led to the abolition of capital
punishment in the UK
Extension taskExtension task Read Gatrell, ‘The Hanging Tree’ p.591-Read Gatrell, ‘The Hanging Tree’ p.591-
595 and note the attitudes of the 595 and note the attitudes of the following to capital punishment:following to capital punishment: Victorian writers such as Dickens, Thackeray Victorian writers such as Dickens, Thackeray
& Carlyle& Carlyle Clerics such as Revd ClayClerics such as Revd Clay Politicians such as Home Sec. Hardy & Politicians such as Home Sec. Hardy &
J.S.MillJ.S.Mill Why does Gatrell think the Victorians Why does Gatrell think the Victorians
eventually banned public hangings?eventually banned public hangings?
EssayEssay ““How important were individuals in changing How important were individuals in changing
attitudes towards prisons and punishments attitudes towards prisons and punishments between 1830 and 1965?”between 1830 and 1965?”
Factors:Factors: IndividualsIndividuals GovernmentGovernment Social-economic factorsSocial-economic factors Public attitudesPublic attitudes MediaMedia
Draw a spider diagram and note sources of Draw a spider diagram and note sources of evidence you could use for your enquiryevidence you could use for your enquiry
How did How did attitudes towards attitudes towards the death penalty the death penalty
change?change?To gain an overview of To gain an overview of
changing attitudes towards changing attitudes towards capital punishmentcapital punishment
To identify and evaluate To identify and evaluate events & factors which led to events & factors which led to
changeschanges
Learning objectives
Key words: ? Plenary