The pages of history have punishments that would make your skin crawl. From branding your face with a red hot iron for laziness, to chopping off hands, ears and even heads! Historical punishments make detention look like a walk in the park!
And the crimes were just down right weird. Crimes included gossiping, having a different religion, reading banned books or even wearing a certain type of clothing!
The video below to explore crimes and punishment from the 1500s to the 1700s and the objects in our collection that would have been used to punish these crimes. Download the Crime & Punishment Learners Pack (pdf, 1 MB) to keep exploring this gruesome topic!
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Visit our collection online to see an executioners block, thumb screws, scold’s bridle, and iron mask.
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