Current Version
| Region | Pennsylvania |
| Issue | Homosexual activity |
| Status | Illegal (death penalty as punishment) |
| Start Date | Nov 27, 1700 |
| End Date | Sep 14, 1786 |
| Description | In 1700, the penalty for a first time conviction of sodomy was raised from 6 months imprisonment to life imprisonment. During the first year of imprisonment, there was a possibility of flogging every 3 months. If the person convicted was a married man, he was castrated and his wife was offered a divorce. For black people only, whether they were a slave or a free person, the punishment for someone convicted of buggery was the death penalty. In 1706, a new law set the limit of lashes a person convicted of sodomy could receive to 39 for each time the possibility of lashes was permitted. It also allowed both a husband or wife to receive a divorce if their spouse was convicted of buggery, and it eliminated the castration punishment for married men convicted of buggery. In 1718, the punishment for white people convicted of sodomy was raised to the death penalty. In 1780, a law was passed that eliminated any difference in punishment between black people and white people for the conviction of sodomy. |
| Sources | https://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/sensibilities/pennslvania.htm |
Revision History (2)
edited by Unknownmiles. Adding more information
Helpful?
1 | Old Value (Original) | New Value (Current) | |
|---|---|---|
| End Date | May 30, 1718 | Sep 14, 1786 |
| Description | In 1700, the penalty for a first time conviction of sodomy was raised from 6 months imprisonment to life imprisonment. During the first year of imprisonment, there was a possibility of flogging every 3 months. If the person convicted was a married man, he was castrated and his wife was offered a divorce. For black people only, whether they were a slave or a free person, the punishment for someone convicted of buggery was the death penalty. In 1706, a new law set the limit of lashes a person convicted of sodomy could receive to 39 for each time the possibility of lashes was permitted. It also allowed both a husband or wife to receive a divorce if their spouse was convicted of buggery, and it eliminated the castration punishment for married men convicted of buggery. | In 1700, the penalty for a first time conviction of sodomy was raised from 6 months imprisonment to life imprisonment. During the first year of imprisonment, there was a possibility of flogging every 3 months. If the person convicted was a married man, he was castrated and his wife was offered a divorce. For black people only, whether they were a slave or a free person, the punishment for someone convicted of buggery was the death penalty. In 1706, a new law set the limit of lashes a person convicted of sodomy could receive to 39 for each time the possibility of lashes was permitted. It also allowed both a husband or wife to receive a divorce if their spouse was convicted of buggery, and it eliminated the castration punishment for married men convicted of buggery. In 1718, the punishment for white people convicted of sodomy was raised to the death penalty. In 1780, a law was passed that eliminated any difference in punishment between black people and white people for the conviction of sodomy. |
Show Difference | ||
created by Unknownmiles
Helpful?
0 | Original entry | |
|---|---|
| Status | Illegal (death penalty as punishment) |
| Start Date | Nov 27, 1700 |
| End Date | May 30, 1718 |
| Description | In 1700, the penalty for a first time conviction of sodomy was raised from 6 months imprisonment to life imprisonment. During the first year of imprisonment, there was a possibility of flogging every 3 months. If the person convicted was a married man, he was castrated and his wife was offered a divorce. For black people only, whether they were a slave or a free person, the punishment for someone convicted of buggery was the death penalty. In 1706, a new law set the limit of lashes a person convicted of sodomy could receive to 39 for each time the possibility of lashes was permitted. It also allowed both a husband or wife to receive a divorce if their spouse was convicted of buggery, and it eliminated the castration punishment for married men convicted of buggery. |
| Sources | https://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/sensibilities/pennslvania.htm |