Something I'd Like to Share About Michigan

Michigan being my home state, if you don’t know that by now.

Michigan (when it was still a territory) became the first place in the English-speaking world to outlaw the death penalty. And the State of Michigan has never had the death penalty.

In 1963, with the new constitution, we finally made it official, by putting there. Oddly enough, it is not in our bill of rights. Yet, a couple of years back, when they tried to outlaw gay marriage, they put that in the bill of rights. Why would that go in the bill of rights, but not the prohibition on the death penalty?

Yeah, I am not proud about everything about Michigan, but at least this one I can be somewhat proud about and not afraid to share. (The death penalty for federal crimes in Michigan is possible, but rare.)

:slight_smile:

Well, they ALMOST outlawed the death penalty in 1847. Treason remained a capital crime until 1963, although no one was ever executed for it.