A Brief History
On September 19, 1692, Giles Corey, age 81, became a footnote in the history of America by becoming the first and only man to be “pressed” to death during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Today, we ask our readers and viewers, “What is the Most Horrible Way to be Executed?”
Digging Deeper
We list a few possible answers, but feel free to name your own:
Boiling Alive
Brazen Bull
Burning at the Stake
Crucifixion
Drawing and Quartering
Drowning
Eaten by critters (such as rats, ants, lions, etc.)
Pressing
Skinned Alive (or Flaying)
Stoning
Suffocation
Question for students (and subscribers): What execution would you fear the most? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Butcher-Dawson, Laura. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT & EXECUTIONS: CRIMES THRU THE TIMES. Independently published, 2022.
Liddell, Stephen. 101 Most Horrible Tortures In History: History Needn’t be torture! Kindle, 2015.
The featured image in this article, an illustration of “Giles Corey’s Punishment and Awful Death,” is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1927, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.
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