Some people believe public punishment can go a long way in changing people’s behavior.
Colonial New Hampshire residents believed it, and used it frequently. The common law of England had been brought over and was a part of the law of the American colonies.
In the early days of New Hampshire’s settlement, individuals who broke the law or damaged the community in some way were often publicly censured. Use of devices, such as the stocks, the pillory, and the whipping post could be found in virtually every community, and were often located near the church yard, or on the town common. Continue reading
