Carol Steiker

King James II, who was Catholic and was thought to be favoring Catholics over Protestants, so there was a lot of Catholic-Protestant tension.

King James was not happy about that and wanted to punish hundreds and hundreds of people who he felt were involved in some way in this rebellion against him.

King James was not happy about that and wanted to punish hundreds and hundreds of people who he felt were involved in some way in this rebellion against him.

King James was not happy about that and wanted to punish hundreds and hundreds of people who he felt were involved in some way in this rebellion against him.

known now historically as the Bloody Assizes, court sessions in which these people who were associated in some way with this rebellion were tried and punished in extravagant ways.

known now historically as the Bloody Assizes, court sessions in which these people who were associated in some way with this rebellion were tried and punished in extravagant ways.

known now historically as the Bloody Assizes, court sessions in which these people who were associated in some way with this rebellion were tried and punished in extravagant ways.

Some in really grotesque ways, like being drawn and quartered, which means having your four limbs tied to four horses who would be sent off in different directions to pull your body apart. Hundreds of them were sent to the West Indies as laborers, so essentially, you know, kind of a form of slavery, if you will. Many of them were publicly flogged brutally or put in pillories.

Some in really grotesque ways, like being drawn and quartered, which means having your four limbs tied to four horses who would be sent off in different directions to pull your body apart. Hundreds of them were sent to the West Indies as laborers, so essentially, you know, kind of a form of slavery, if you will. Many of them were publicly flogged brutally or put in pillories.

Some in really grotesque ways, like being drawn and quartered, which means having your four limbs tied to four horses who would be sent off in different directions to pull your body apart. Hundreds of them were sent to the West Indies as laborers, so essentially, you know, kind of a form of slavery, if you will. Many of them were publicly flogged brutally or put in pillories.

So we're talking four years after the bloodiest sizes, the English Bill of Rights was passed and makes specific reference to the depredations of King James II.

So we're talking four years after the bloodiest sizes, the English Bill of Rights was passed and makes specific reference to the depredations of King James II.

So we're talking four years after the bloodiest sizes, the English Bill of Rights was passed and makes specific reference to the depredations of King James II.

The founders of the country wanted to bring the original 13 colonies together in a single new government. And this was very threatening because the founders were very worried about recreating the oppressive government they had just freed themselves from. Here they were creating a new national head called a president, but what if he turned out to be like a king?

The founders of the country wanted to bring the original 13 colonies together in a single new government. And this was very threatening because the founders were very worried about recreating the oppressive government they had just freed themselves from. Here they were creating a new national head called a president, but what if he turned out to be like a king?

The founders of the country wanted to bring the original 13 colonies together in a single new government. And this was very threatening because the founders were very worried about recreating the oppressive government they had just freed themselves from. Here they were creating a new national head called a president, but what if he turned out to be like a king?

And then when the original Constitution was proposed, before there was a Bill of Rights added to it, it was the delegation from Virginia that suggested that the Eighth Amendment be added to it.

And then when the original Constitution was proposed, before there was a Bill of Rights added to it, it was the delegation from Virginia that suggested that the Eighth Amendment be added to it.

And then when the original Constitution was proposed, before there was a Bill of Rights added to it, it was the delegation from Virginia that suggested that the Eighth Amendment be added to it.

The framers saw themselves not only as learning from the past, but as going further and breaking from the past. These guys were revolutionaries. I mean, we think of them today as like old dead guys, you know, who are on the dollar bill or whatever. But they really saw themselves as revolutionaries in many ways, including in punishment practices.