I was recently interviewed by Leonard Sipes about “Early American Crime in the Media” for D.C. Public Safety Radio, which presents audio programs on crime, criminal offenders, and the criminal justice system.
The program lasts a half hour and covers the criminal justice system in colonial America, how crime was covered in early American newspapers, and [...]
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Note: This post is the conclusion of the story of the “Harvard-Educated Burglars.”
In his History of New England, John Winthrop notes on June 5, 1644,
Two of our ministers’ sons, being students in the college, robbed two dwelling houses in the night of some 15 pounds. Being found out, they were ordered by the governours [...]
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
In the earliest days of colonial America, burglary was not considered much of a problem. Most people in the community knew each other, and strangers were quickly identified. As more people settled in America and cities grew bigger, however, burglary became a much more frequent occurrence, and it increasingly was treated with harsh punishment.
Massachusetts
Even [...]
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Outside of murder, which cuts to the core of who we are as human beings, burglary is perhaps the ultimate criminal transgression in America, because it violates two strong American principles at the very same time: the protection of property and the right to privacy. It also brings with it a potential for violence, since [...]
The Massachusetts Superior Court celebrated its 150th anniversary on June 4, 2009 in Worcester, MA by reenacting the trial of Bathsheba Spooner. Everyone in the packed audience would surely agree that the performance was both entertaining and informative. Seeing real people play the parts of the historical actors in this colonial murder drama [...]
