starter activity

Crowds outside

Wandsworth gaol

receiving news of

Bentley’s execution in

1953

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