Collected from old court records, newspapers and diaries, this short book describes how colonial Americans punished their neighbours: the bilboes, the ducking stool for scolds, the stocks, the pillory, the whipping-post, and the burning of offending books. Earle notes who was spared the lash because he was a gentleman, and finds both grimness and humour in the evidence.
A brief, vivid look at colonial justice for readers of early American life. Download the free EPUB.