Beatrice Lang
Thomas Edison, the famous inventor, played a significant role in the development of the electric chair. In the late 19th century, Edison was in a fierce battle with rival inventor George Westinghouse over their competing electrical systems. Edison's direct current (DC) system was facing competition from Westinghouse's alternating current (AC) system. Edison sought to discredit Westinghouse by claiming that AC was unsafe and could be used to kill people. He even secretly financed the first electric chair, which used Westinghouse's AC to execute William Kemmler in 1890. Despite Edison's assurances of a quick and humane death, Kemmler's execution was botched, and he suffered a gruesome fate. Edison's involvement in the electric chair was driven by his desire to undermine Westinghouse rather than by humanitarian concerns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Edison's role in the electric chair | Edison secretly financed the first electric chair to discredit his rival Westinghouse's alternating current by claiming it was unsafe. |
| First victim | William Kemmler, a convicted killer who murdered his common-law wife with a hatchet. |
| Date of execution | August 6, 1890 |
| Edison's motivation | To advance his own inventions and profit from them |
| Edison's public stance on capital punishment | Edison publicly opposed the death penalty, testifying that electrocution would be painless. |
| Westinghouse's stance | Westinghouse was opposed to the brutality of hanging and execution by electricity, refusing to sell his AC generators for executions. |
| Outcome of the first execution | The first execution was botched, with the generator malfunctioning and Kemmler struggling for several minutes before eventually dying. |
| Public reaction | The public and press witnessed the execution, with horrified witnesses fainting or running out of the room. The New York Times called it "an awful spectacle, far worse than hanging." |
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What You'll Learn
Thomas Edison's role in the electric chair's inception
Thomas Edison played a significant role in the inception and development of the electric chair. During the late 19th century, Edison was engaged in a fierce competition with fellow inventor George Westinghouse. Edison had developed direct current (DC), while Westinghouse had created alternating current (AC). Both inventors sought to establish their electrical system as the standard for delivering electricity.
Edison controlled and profited from every segment of his electrical system, from generators and cables to motors and light bulbs. However, direct current had limitations, as it could only be sent a few blocks, requiring most users to have their own noisy generators. Westinghouse's alternating current system emerged as a threat to Edison's dominance in the electricity market.
In the midst of this competition, the state of New York was considering replacing hanging with a more humane method of execution. Alfred Southwick, a dentist, invented the electric chair as a potentially more humane alternative. Edison saw this as an opportunity to discredit Westinghouse's alternating current by associating it with capital punishment. He secretly financed the development of the first electric chair and ensured that Westinghouse's alternating current was used.
William Kemmler, a convicted murderer, became the first person to be executed by the electric chair on August 6, 1890. Edison testified on behalf of the state, assuring the judge that electrocution would be painless. However, Kemmler's execution was botched, with the first charge delivering only 700 volts before the generator malfunctioned. A second charge was applied, and smoke was seen rising from Kemmler's body. Despite this gruesome outcome, Edison remained optimistic about the electric chair, believing that future executions would be instantaneous.
Edison's role in the electric chair's inception was driven by his desire to undermine his rival and protect his business interests. He leveraged the public interest in electricity and the perceived need for a more humane execution method to advance his own agenda. While the electric chair became a widely adopted method of capital punishment, it also served as a dark chapter in the history of American science and innovation.
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Edison's rivalry with Westinghouse
Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse were locked in a battle over which of them would control the future of electric power in America. Edison's direct current (DC) system had a short transmission range, meaning that generating plants could only supply customers less than a mile away. Westinghouse's alternating current (AC) system, on the other hand, could transmit power over longer distances and was therefore more efficient.
Recognising the threat that Westinghouse's system posed to his business, Edison set out to discredit his rival's technology, claiming that AC was unsafe and could be used to kill people. He began experimenting with AC "electricide", killing dogs and cats, and even recommended that AC be used for executions.
In 1888, Edison petitioned the New York State Legislature to begin executing its prisoners with an electric chair, specifically requesting that Westinghouse's AC power be used. The first man executed by electric chair, William Kemmler, died slower than Edison expected, with smoke seen rising from his body. Westinghouse was horrified, saying "they could have done better with an ax". Edison, however, remained optimistic, claiming that the next execution would be instantaneous.
The rivalry between the two inventors extended beyond the electric chair, with Edison even suing Westinghouse for what historians estimate to be about a billion dollars in 1888. Despite their differences, however, Westinghouse won the bid to supply electrical power for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and was also awarded the major part of the contract to build the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project.
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Edison's public opposition to the death penalty
Thomas Edison was publicly opposed to the death penalty, but his motivations were not entirely altruistic. He had a vested interest in discrediting his rival, George Westinghouse, and his alternating current (AC) technology. Edison promoted the use of electricity for executions as a way to demonstrate the dangers of AC and discredit Westinghouse. He even recommended the use of Westinghouse's generators for executions, suggesting that criminals could be referred to as being "Westinghoused".
Edison's opposition to the death penalty did not stop him from secretly financing the first electric chair to showcase the dangers of AC. He also testified in court, assuring the judge that electrocution would be painless, despite the gruesome results of the first electric execution in 1890. William Kemmler, convicted of brutally murdering his wife, was the first person to be executed by electric chair. The execution was botched, with Kemmler enduring two charges of electricity before ultimately dying. The process was described as "an awful spectacle, far worse than hanging" by The New York Times.
It is important to note that Edison's public stance against the death penalty was not driven by a genuine concern for human life or the well-being of those facing execution. Instead, he saw the introduction of the electric chair as an opportunity to advance his own interests and tarnish the reputation of his rival's technology. In doing so, he contributed to a form of execution that has since been widely criticized for its cruelty and inhumane nature.
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Westinghouse's attempts to prevent the use of AC generators for executions
In the late 19th century, a rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse emerged as they competed to win lucrative electricity contracts. Edison's direct current (DC) electrical system was in direct competition with Westinghouse's alternating current (AC) system. Edison tried to discredit his rival's AC system, claiming it was unsafe and dangerous.
Westinghouse attempted to prevent the use of his AC generators for executions. He refused to sell any of his AC generators to public officials, not wanting them to be used for executions. He also objected to the use of his AC current for the electric chair and the appropriation of his generator in its design. Westinghouse sought to stop executions using electricity altogether. He hired William Kemmler, the first person to be executed by electricity, a defence team and even took the case to the Supreme Court. Despite his efforts, he was unable to stop Kemmler's execution.
Westinghouse also criticised the tests carried out by Edison's associate, H.P. Brown, as being skewed and self-serving. Brown had been experimenting with AC "electricide", killing animals with the current and ensuring the press witnessed some of the killings. He published a 61-page booklet detailing the experiments and claiming that AC was far deadlier than DC. This was sent to government officials, newspapers and businessmen.
Westinghouse's AC system ultimately prevailed and became the American standard, which it remains today.
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The first execution using the electric chair
The first execution by electric chair took place on August 6, 1890, when William Kemmler was put to death.
Kemmler, an American murderer, was convicted of killing his common-law wife, Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, with an axe a year before his execution. He was sentenced to death and was destined to be the first person executed by electric chair under New York's new execution law, which had replaced hanging with electrocution.
The electric chair was invented in 1881 by Buffalo, New York dentist Alfred Southwick. It was first adopted by New York State in 1899 as a means for death penalty prisoners "to die as pleasantly as possible." The chair was considered humane compared to hanging, which could cause slow strangulation if the rope was too loose, and decapitation if it was too tight.
Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse were locked in a battle over which of them would control the future of electric power. Edison worked to discredit Westinghouse's alternating current with claims that it was unsafe. He testified for the state, assuring the judge that electrocution would be painless. Edison also secretly financed the first electric chair to destroy his rival.
Kemmler's execution did not go smoothly. After he was strapped in, a charge of approximately 700 volts was delivered for only 17 seconds before the current failed. Witnesses reported smelling burnt clothing and charred flesh, but Kemmler was still alive. A second charge of 1,030 volts was applied for about two minutes, whereupon smoke was observed coming from Kemmler's head. An autopsy showed that the electrode attached to his back had burned through to the spine.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Edison helped with the electric chair.
Edison was in a battle with Westinghouse over which of them would control the future of electric power. Edison wanted to discredit Westinghouse's alternating current by claiming it was unsafe and could be used to kill people.
Edison testified for the state, assuring the judge that electrocution would be painless. Edison also secretly financed the first electric chair and recommended that Westinghouse's alternating current be used.
William Kemmler was the first person to be executed by the electric chair.
Edison later admitted that he regretted not taking Tesla's advice.
