The Last Public Execution in the United States: Rainey Bethea's Hanging, 1936
Title
The Last Public Execution in the United States: Rainey Bethea's Hanging, 1936
Creator
stf, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Subject
The Final Public Execution in U.S. History
Description
Photograph capturing the public hanging of Rainey Bethea on August 14, 1936, in Owensboro, Kentucky. The photo shows a large crowd gathered as attendants adjust a black hood over Bethea's head moments before his execution. Bethea, a 22-year-old Black man, was convicted of raping a 70-year-old white woman. His hanging marked the last public execution in the United States, symbolizing the end of a grim era of executions as public spectacles.
Publisher
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Contributor
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Date
1936-08-13
Type
Photograph
Format
jpg
Source
ASSOCIATED PRESS, https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ExecutionAccess-History/77a90efd8d0447a18168e93ebaf6789b
Rights
Copyright 1936 AP. All rights reserved.
Files
Collection
Citation
stf, ASSOCIATED PRESS, “The Last Public Execution in the United States: Rainey Bethea's Hanging, 1936,” Santa Clara University Digital Exhibits, accessed November 22, 2024, https://dh.scu.edu/exhibits/items/show/5256.
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