Beatrice Lang
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The idea for the electric chair was conceived in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist from Buffalo, New York. The first electric chair was built in 1888, and it was used for the first time in 1890 to execute William Kemmler. The electric chair was developed as a more humane alternative to hanging, which was the previous method of execution. The electric chair causes death by sending a jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts of electricity through the body of the condemned person, resulting in ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Conception | In 1881, by Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo, New York dentist |
| First use | 1890 |
| How it works | The condemned is strapped to a chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to the head and leg |
| Jolt of electricity | Between 500 and 2000 volts, lasting for about 30 seconds |
| Effects | Violent movement of the limbs, dislocation or fractures, severe burns, nerve damage, muscle spasms, disruption of the heart's natural electrical activity, cardiac arrest |
| Current status | In 2008, the electric chair was declared "cruel and unusual punishment" by the Nebraska Supreme Court |
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What You'll Learn
How electric chairs were conceived
The electric chair was conceived in the late 19th century as an alternative method of capital punishment to hanging, which was thought to be inhumane.
In the late 1870s to early 1880s, the spread of arc lighting, a type of outdoor street lighting that required high voltages, led to several accidents that resulted in death. One such accident in Buffalo, New York, on August 7, 1881, led to the inception of the electric chair. Following this incident, New York engineer and dentist Alfred P. Southwick conceived of the electric chair as a more humane method of execution.
Southwick sought advice from Thomas Edison, whose electrical company championed Direct Current (DC). Edison, however, was against capital punishment and did not want to be associated with it, so he referred Southwick to his competitor, George Westinghouse, who had released alternating current (AC) generators. Edison hoped that the electric chair would be linked to Westinghouse's AC generators, which he believed to be more dangerous due to their higher voltage. To prove his point, Edison publicly electrocuted animals, including dogs and a horse, using AC generators. Despite Westinghouse's reluctance to be associated with capital punishment, he provided the generators for the first electric chair.
In 1887, New York State established a committee to determine a new, more humane system of execution to replace hanging. The committee included members of the New York Medico-Legal Society, an informal society composed of doctors and lawyers, who were tasked with determining the type and amount of electricity to be used. In September 1888, the committee recommended 3000 volts, but the type of electricity (AC or DC) was not determined. Harold Brown, who was commissioned by New York State to build the generators, managed to acquire Westinghouse AC generators that were being decommissioned. The first electric chair was built by Edwin F. Davis, the first "state electrician" (executioner) for the State of New York.
The electric chair was first used on August 6, 1890, when William Kemmler became the first person in the world to be executed by electricity at Auburn Prison, New York. The execution was highly publicised and described as "grotesque and fiery". Despite this, the electric chair was soon adopted in other states, becoming the choice method of capital punishment in the United States for nearly a century.
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The process of electrocution
Electrocution refers to death caused by electric shock, where the human body acts as a conductor in an electrical circuit, allowing a lethal amount of electricity to flow through it. The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution.
Firstly, the condemned person is strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber. The chair is specifically designed for this purpose and is referred to as the electric chair. Electrodes are then attached to the head and leg of the condemned, with one portion of the leg being shaved to reduce resistance to electricity. The execution team then withdraws to the observation room.
Secondly, the executioner receives a signal from the warden to initiate the process. The executioner pulls a handle to connect the power supply, releasing a jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts of electricity, which lasts for about 30 seconds. The electric current is then turned off, and the body is observed for any signs of movement.
Thirdly, doctors wait a few seconds for the body to cool down and then check for vital signs, such as a heartbeat. If the prisoner is still alive, another jolt of electricity is applied. This process continues until the prisoner is dead. The prisoner's hands may grip the chair tightly, and there may be violent movements of the limbs, which can result in dislocation or fractures.
The electric chair was developed in the late 19th century as a more humane alternative to hanging. It was first used for execution in 1890, and its use continued into the 1970s before many states switched to lethal injection. Today, the term "electrocution" refers to any death resulting from electric shock.
Electrocution can cause severe burns, nerve damage, muscle spasms, and disruption to the heart's natural electrical activity, leading to cardiac arrest. The effects of electric shock on the body depend on the intensity of the current and the type of muscle it travels through. High-voltage shocks can cause serious internal damage, which may result in scarring, amputation, loss of function, and even death.
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The voltage used
The electric chair was conceived in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist from Buffalo, New York. It was developed as a more humane alternative to hanging. The first execution by electric chair took place in 1890, and it became a symbol of capital punishment in the United States.
The electric chair involves strapping the condemned person to a chair and electrocuting them via electrodes attached to the head and leg. The voltage used in electric chairs ranges from 500 to 2000 volts, with the current lasting for about 30 seconds. The exact voltage and duration of the current can vary, as seen in the case of William Kemmler, who was executed in 1890 with an initial jolt of 1000 volts for 17 seconds, followed by a second jolt of 2000 volts.
The human body acts as a conductor in an electrical circuit during electrocution, allowing a lethal amount of electricity to flow through it. The electricity can cause severe burns, nerve damage, muscle spasms, and disruption to the heart's natural electrical activity, leading to cardiac arrest. The effects of electric shock depend on the intensity of the current and the type of muscle it travels through. For example, a current above 10 mA travelling through flexor muscles can cause a sustained contraction, while a current above 10 mA travelling through extensor muscles can result in a violent spasm.
The electric chair's use as a method of execution has declined, with many states switching to lethal injection. In 2008, the Nebraska Supreme Court declared the electric chair "cruel and unusual punishment", marking the end of its use as a form of execution in the United States.
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Effects on the body
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The process involves passing various cycles of alternating current through the body of the condemned inmate, causing lethal damage to their internal organs. The first electric shock is more powerful, ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 volts, and is intended to induce immediate unconsciousness, ventricular fibrillation, and cardiac arrest. The second shock is less powerful, ranging from 500 to 1,500 volts, and is meant to cause fatal damage to vital organs.
The human body acts as a conductor in an electrical circuit during electrocution, allowing a lethal amount of electricity to pass through it. This disruption of the heart's natural electrical activity can lead to cardiac arrest. Additionally, the electric current can cause severe burns, nerve damage, and muscle spasms. The intensity of the current and the type of muscle it passes through determine the impact on the body.
Electric shocks to the head and chest regions are particularly dangerous and often result in serious injuries or death. Shocks to the head can cause brain injuries, seizures, and cerebral damage. Shocks to the chest can induce irregular heartbeats, damage the heart, and impair lung function. The violent muscle spasms caused by electrocution can lead to bone fractures and falls, resulting in further injuries.
The electric chair has been criticised due to instances where inmates were subjected to multiple electric shocks before death. This has led to concerns about cruel and unusual punishment, with some advocating for alternative methods of execution. However, supporters of the electric chair argue that it is more humane than hanging, which was previously a common method of capital punishment.
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History of use
The electric chair was conceived in the late 19th century as an alternative to hanging, which was the primary method of execution at the time. In 1886, following a series of botched hangings in the United States, New York State governor David B. Hill set up a commission to investigate a more humane means of execution. The commission surveyed the history of execution, consulted experts, and witnessed the electrocution of dogs.
In 1888, the commission recommended electrocution using a modified version of the dental chair as a way to restrain the condemned—a device henceforth known as the electric chair. New York built the first electric chair in 1888 and, in 1890, executed William Kemmler at Auburn State Prison. Kemmler's execution was botched, with one reporter describing his bloody face and scorched hair and skin. Despite this, electrocution was soon adopted in other states, and by 1949, it was the method of execution in 26 states, the District of Columbia, the federal government, and the US military.
The electric chair remained the most prominent execution method until the mid-1980s to early 1990s, when it was largely replaced by lethal injection. It has been used in about 4,251 executions from 1890 to the early 21st century. The electric chair has also been used outside the United States, notably in the Philippines from 1926 to 1976.
The first photograph of an execution by electric chair was of Ruth Snyder at Sing Sing Prison in 1928. On July 13, 1928, seven men were executed consecutively in the electric chair at the Kentucky State Penitentiary, setting a record. In 1944, 14-year-old George Stinney became the youngest person ever executed in the electric chair in South Carolina. His conviction was vacated in 2014 on the grounds that he did not receive a fair trial.
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Frequently asked questions
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned person is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to the head and leg.
The prisoner is blindfolded and an additional electrode is moistened with conductive jelly and attached to a portion of the prisoner's leg that has been shaved to reduce resistance to electricity. After the execution team has withdrawn to the observation room, the executioner pulls a handle to connect the power supply. A jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts, which lasts for about 30 seconds, is given. The current surges and is then turned off, at which time the body is seen to relax. Doctors then check to see if the prisoner’s heart is still beating. If it is, another jolt is applied.
In the late 1870s to early 1880s, the spread of arc lighting, a type of outdoor street lighting that required high voltages, led to numerous stories in newspapers about how the high voltages were killing people. One such accident, in Buffalo, New York, in 1881, led to the inception of the electric chair. A drunken dock worker named George Lemuel Smith sneaked into a power plant at night and grabbed a part of a large electric dynamo. He died instantly. The coroner who investigated the case brought it up at a local scientific society, and in 1886, a death penalty commission was set up to investigate a more humane means of execution.
