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History of Capital Punishment

This resource provides a comprehensive overview of the history of death penalty legislation and includes the Eugene G. Wanger and Marilyn M. Wanger Death Penalty Collection: A Descriptive Bibliography.

About the Bibliography

The Eugene G. Wanger and Marilyn M. Wanger Death Penalty Collection: A Descriptive Bibliography

The Eugene G. Wanger and Marilyn M. Wanger Death Penalty Collection is a bibliographic index referencing a wide variety of materials that document the history and debate about capital punishment as well as discuss the criminal justice system surrounding it.

The collection itself includes books, artifacts and ephemera, pamphlets, audio and video, prints, posters, buttons, reports, testimony, correspondence, files by subject, advocacy materials, and clippings. Mr. Wanger, a noted expert on this topic, created or collected the materials himself. The bound and boxed volumes of materials referenced in the bibliography, located at the National Death Penalty Archive at the State University of New York at Albany, provide a comprehensive overview of the history of death penalty legislation in Michigan. Through legislation in 1846, the state became the first English-speaking government to abolish the death penalty for murder and lesser crimes.

This extraordinary and unique scholarly resource was compiled over a period of more than 50 years and was digitized exclusively by HeinOnline at the authors’ request. The bibliography concentrates on the death penalty’s nature, history, operation, effects, psychology, desirability, and compatibility with religious and moral precepts. 

The material is organized into five parts:

Also included are finding lists, comprehensive search lists (including references to 97 names and subjects pertaining to capital punishment), and a general index.

This incredible collection also includes Wanger’s testimony at numerous hearings opposing bills attempting to reinstate the death penalty, as well as brochures and short articles. The bound and boxed volumes provide a comprehensive overview of the history of death penalty legislation in Michigan.