Difference between revisions of "Sodomy law: Pennsylvania, May 31, 1718"
(New page: The death penalty for "sodomy and buggery" was reinstated in Pennsylvania, revising the colony's law of 1706.<ref> 1718, May ...) |
OutHistory (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
The death penalty for "sodomy and buggery" was reinstated in Pennsylvania, | The death penalty for "sodomy and buggery" was reinstated in Pennsylvania, | ||
| − | revising the [[ | + | revising the [[Sodomy and buggery law: Pennsylvania, January 12, 1706|colony's law of 1706]].<ref> 1718, May 31: Pennsylvania "sodomy" law; Mitchell and Flanders, vol. 3, p. 202; Barnes, Evolution, pp. 38-39. For |
| − | law; Mitchell and Flanders, vol. 3, p. 202; Barnes, Evolution, pp. 38-39. For | ||
the law of 1789 see Mitchell and Flanders, vol. 3, p. 281. </ref> This revision brought Pennsylvania law into conformity with English statute and common law. | the law of 1789 see Mitchell and Flanders, vol. 3, p. 281. </ref> This revision brought Pennsylvania law into conformity with English statute and common law. | ||
| Line 38: | Line 37: | ||
[[Category:The Age of Sodomitical Sin]] | [[Category:The Age of Sodomitical Sin]] | ||
| − | + | [[Category:American Colonial Era (1607-1776)]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:1710-1719]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:Sodomy]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:Pennsylvania]] | |
| + | [[Category:18th century]] | ||
Revision as of 12:38, 16 April 2008
The death penalty for "sodomy and buggery" was reinstated in Pennsylvania, revising the colony's law of 1706.[1] This revision brought Pennsylvania law into conformity with English statute and common law.
The new statute's reference to "any person or persons" who committed
"sodomy or buggery" theoretically allowed female-female relations to be included,
though, in practice, "sodomy" probably meant intercourse between men, or possibly, between a man and woman.
The law of 1718 provided death for thirteen crimes: (1) treason, (2) murder,
(3) manslaughter by stabbing, (4) serious maiming, (5) highway robbery, (6)
burglary, (7) arson, (8) sodomy, (9) buggery, (10) rape, (11) concealing the death
of a bastard child, (12) advising the killing of a bastard child, and (13) witchcraft.
The sodomy provision read:
... if any person or persons shall commit sodomy or buggery, or rape, or
robbery ... he or they ... shall suffer as felons, according to the tenor, direction, form and effect of the several statutes in such cases respectively made and practiced in Great Britain, any act or law of this province to the
contrary in anywise notwithstanding.
This law remained in effect until 1786 when, after the Revolution, Pennsylvania
legislators were the first to revoke the death penalty for sodomy.
Jonathan Ned Katz, Gay/Lesbian Almanac (NY: Harper & Row, 1983) p 130.
References
- ↑ 1718, May 31: Pennsylvania "sodomy" law; Mitchell and Flanders, vol. 3, p. 202; Barnes, Evolution, pp. 38-39. For the law of 1789 see Mitchell and Flanders, vol. 3, p. 281.
