Hanging

Long ago, people used ropes for punishment.

This was a very sad thing. It happened in many lands.

Some used a short drop. A person stood on a stool. Then the stool was moved.

This made the rope tight.

Other people used a long drop. They used math to help. This was meant to be better. It helped the person not feel pain.

Some people used a tall pole. They used a rope and a hook. This was a different way. It happened in many places.

Laws have changed over time. Many places do not use this now. We learn about these old ways.

Hanging is a way to kill a person using a rope.

People have used this for many years. It has been a common way to punish people for crimes.

There are different ways to do this. In the short drop, a person stands on a stool or a cart. The support is moved away. This makes the rope tight around the neck.

Some places used a tall pole. A rope goes around the feet. A person is lifted up a pole. Then they are pulled down quickly. This happened in a place called Czechoslovakia.

Later, people made the long drop. This method uses math. They look at how much a person weighs. They pick a specific distance for the person to fall. This was meant to break the neck quickly.

This way was used in many British colonies.

In some old stories, people think Vikings used hanging. They may have done this to honor their gods.

Today, many countries have changed their laws. They no longer use hanging as a punishment.

Hanging is a method of ending a life by using a rope or a noose around the neck.

It has been used as a way to punish people for crimes since the Middle Ages. This practice often takes place at a structure known as a gallows. Some very old stories even mention it, such as in Homer's Odyssey. People also use this method for suicide. In the United Kingdom, it was the most common method of suicide in 2024.

It is also a common method in Canada and the United States.

There are several ways this method works. The short drop was a common way to do this before 1850. In this method, a person stands on a stool, ladder, or cart.

The support is then moved away so the person dangles. The weight of the body makes the rope tight. This causes death by strangulation, usually within a few minutes. Another way is the pole method used in parts of Europe. A person is lifted up a tall pole by a sling. Then, they are jerked downward quickly by a rope tied to their feet.

History shows many different versions of these methods. The Austro-Hungarian army used pole-hanging on Serbs in 1916.

Later, Czechoslovakia used the pole method for many years. They used it until 1954 when they built indoor gallows instead. In the United States, the short drop was often used in lynchings. In Australia, hanging was part of the legal system for a long time. The last execution there was Ronald Ryan in 1967. During the 1800s, about eighty people were hanged every year in Australian colonies.

As time passed, people tried to make the process more scientific. In 1866, an Irish doctor named Samuel Haughton shared details about the standard drop. This method was meant to break the neck to cause quick death. Later, a man named William Marwood introduced the long drop in Britain in 1872.

This method used a person's height and weight to pick a specific fall distance. This was done to ensure the neck broke without causing decapitation. However, if the math was wrong, it could cause a person's head to snap off. This happened to a man named Black Jack Ketchum in 1901.

Today, the use of hanging varies greatly around the world. Some countries, like Japan and Singapore, still use the long-drop method. In Afghanistan, hanging is the most used way to punish people. In Bangladesh, it is the only method used for executions. Some places have stopped using it entirely, like the Bahamas. Australia also stopped using the death penalty in all its states by 1985. Understanding these methods helps us see how laws and science have changed over time. Many people have worked to change how societies handle justice and punishment.

Hanging is a method of causing death by suspending a person by the neck with a noose or ligature.

This practice has served as a standard form of capital punishment since the Middle Ages. It is frequently carried out using a specialized structure called a gallows. Beyond judicial use, hanging is also a common method of suicide. In the United Kingdom, it was the most frequent method of suicide in 2024, accounting for 56% of the 3,504 recorded cases.

In Canada, it remains the most common method of suicide, while in the United States, it is the second most common after gunshot wounds.

There are several distinct mechanical methods used in judicial hanging. The first is the short drop method. In this process, the condemned person stands on a raised support like a stool, ladder, or cart.

Once the support is removed, the person dangles from the rope. The weight of the body causes the noose to tighten, leading to death via strangulation. This method was the standard before 1850. It is still seen in extrajudicial hangings, such as lynchings, where specialized equipment is unavailable. Another variant is the pole method, sometimes called the "strangling gallows." The person is hoisted up a vertical pole using a chest sling. An assistant then jerks the person downward by a rope attached to their feet, resulting in rapid strangulation.

History shows how these methods evolved through different regions and eras. The Austro-Hungarian army used pole-hanging during mass executions of Serbs in 1916.

Czechoslovakia later adopted this pole method, using it for approximately 1,000 executions until 1954. At that time, Pankrác Prison replaced the pole with indoor gallows for short-drop hangings. In Australia, hanging was a part of the legal system for many years. During the 19th century, about eighty people were hanged annually in the Australian colonies for crimes like burglary and murder. The last execution in Australia occurred in Victoria in 1967, when Ronald Ryan was hanged. By 1985, all Australian states and territories had abolished the death penalty.

As science progressed, people sought more precise ways to manage the process. In 1866, an Irish doctor named Samuel Haughton published scientific details regarding the "standard drop." This method aimed to improve upon the short drop by intending to break the neck. This break was meant to cause immediate unconsciousness and rapid brain death. This approach was later used for Nazi war criminals, such as Joachim von Ribbentrop, following the Nuremberg Trials. However, the execution of Ribbentrop was noted by historian Giles MacDonogh as a failure. The hangman botched the process, and the rope throttled the former minister for 20 minutes before he died.

In 1872, William Marwood introduced the "long drop" to Britain as a further scientific advance.

This method, also known as the measured drop, was later refined by James Berry. Unlike previous methods, the long drop uses the person's specific height and weight to calculate the necessary fall distance. The goal is to provide enough energy to fracture the neck without causing decapitation. Before 1892, drops ranged from 5 to 10 feet. Between 1892 and 1913, officials shortened the drop to prevent decapitation. By 1913, the energy delivered was reduced to about 1,260 foot-pounds. If calculations were incorrect, however, the results could be fatal in other ways. In 1901, Black Jack Ketchum was decapitated in the New Mexico Territory because his weight gain was not factored into the drop.

Medical science explains the different ways hanging affects the human body. Death can occur through several physiological mechanisms. One cause is a cervical fracture, which is a break in the neck bones. A study of 34 judicial hangings found that only 6 cases produced cervical fractures. Among those, 3 cases showed the "hangman's fracture," involving the C2 vertebra.

Another cause is the closure of blood vessels, such as the carotid arteries or jugular veins. If the jugular veins are blocked, it leads to cerebral oedema, which is swelling of the brain. This can cause the face to become blue, a condition known as cyanosis. If the person survives the attempt, they may suffer permanent brain damage from cerebral anoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain.

Today, the use of hanging varies significantly across the globe. Long-drop hanging is still practiced in a few countries, including Japan and Singapore. In Afghanistan, hanging is the most common method of capital punishment. Following the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the administration under Hamid Karzai was hesitant to use the death penalty. However, in 2011, the government resumed hanging for certain convictions. In Bangladesh, hanging remains the only method of execution used since its independence. Meanwhile, other nations have moved away from the practice entirely, such as the Bahamas, which has not conducted an execution since 2000.