In the century following the Civil War, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia legally executed thousands of men and women convicted of capital crimes. Based on exhaustive research of court records, newspapers death certificates and even gravestones, this volume covers each of these cases in comprehensive detail. Arranged by state, entries for each execution are listed in chronological order, giving the name, race and age of the prisoner and a description of the crime of which he or she was convicted. The motive, if known, the date and place of the execution, and relevant sources are also included. Appendices provide preliminary lists of executions in these states before 1866, including some cases dating back to 1608. Uncovering a number of previously unacknowledged executions, this work reveals that America’s experience with capital punishment remains more extensive than previously known.

In the five state regions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri, 1027 men and women are known to have been legally hanged, gassed or electrocuted in the century after the Civil War. Drawing on thousands of hours of research, this comprehensive record covers each execution in chronological order, filling numerous gaps in a largely forgotten story of the American experience. The author presents each case dispassionately with the main focus given to essential facts.

In the state of Georgia, 1025 men and women are known to have been hanged or electrocuted for capital crimes in the century after the Civil War. Based on more than twenty years of investigative research, this complete chronological record of these legal executions was pieced together from diverse sources in and outside of the state, with many details never before been made public. The author documents the facts as they occurred without delving into the politics of capital punishment.

Between 1623 and 1960 (the date of the last execution as of 1999), Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont legally put to death more than 700 men and women for a wide variety of capital crimes ranging from army desertion to murder. This is a companion volume to Legal Executions in New York State and Legal Executions in New Jersey, both published by McFarland. It is comprised of chronologically arranged biographical entries for the executed persons. Each entry gives personal data on the executed person, including age, ethnicity, and gender, as well as a detailed account of the crime for which he or she was sentenced to death and information on the place and method of execution. Fully indexed.

Presented in chronological order, this book provides essential details about the 1152 men and women who were legally put to death in the States of North and South Carolina during the century after the Civil War. Each entry contains information about the criminals themselves and the misdeeds which cost them their lives. Based almost entirely on original archival materials such as court records, contemporary newspapers, prisoner files, appellate reports, gubernatorial correspondence, etc., a newer picture of the historical record emerges that students of Southern Justice will find both revealing and disconcerting.