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The Dawn of Prison: The Penitentiary
The American Revolution leads to the birth of a new nation built on ideas and tremendous optimism. This era also marks the dawn of the prison as we know it. A multitude of explanations attempt to account for this. There is great desire to get away from all that is English, including punishments. The absolute power of the monarchy is antithetical to democratic principles, and corporal punishment is one of the most dramatic expressions of the crown's influence. Liberty, a fundamental doctrine of the new nation, is now a most prized concept, and in this climate perhaps the ultimate punishment is loss of freedomincarceration. Prison time can be adjusted to fit the crime in a way that corporal punishments cannot. Equality, another treasured principle, can be promoted because rich and poor alike can serve time, and ideally status will not temper punishment. The uncertain and shifting economic paradigm of the time also plays a role in the move to create prisons. Extraordinary social change and rapid population growth take place during this time: changing demographics, economic and political innovations, and shifts characterized by both democracy and capitalism. Equality and citizenship are tenets of the new republic, but they do not apply to everyone. The Industrial Revolution is burgeoning, and the move westward is gaining momentum. Social cohesion is not what it is in the colonies; the family and church are losing their capacity for informal control. It is truly a new world. |