Who was the first person hanged in Massachusetts and why?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ivan Seeking
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the historical figure of Thomas Granger, who is noted as the first person hanged in Massachusetts, and the circumstances surrounding his execution for bestiality. The conversation explores various reactions to this historical event, including humor and commentary on societal norms regarding animal interactions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the identity of the first person hanged in Massachusetts, suggesting a curiosity about the historical context.
  • Several participants express disbelief and humor regarding the details of Granger's actions, particularly the involvement of multiple animals, including a turkey.
  • A participant mentions the existence of laws against bestiality today, questioning the rationale behind such laws and their implications for animal abuse.
  • Another participant references a historical anecdote about a man who suffered a fatal incident involving a horse, contributing to the discussion on the nature of such laws.
  • There are humorous exchanges about the absurdity of the situation, with jokes about the circumstances of Granger's actions and the societal implications.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of disbelief, humor, and curiosity regarding the historical account, but there is no consensus on the appropriateness of the laws or the societal implications of bestiality.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a range of reactions to a historical event, with some participants focusing on the absurdity of the situation while others engage in a more serious critique of societal norms and laws.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in historical legal cases, societal norms regarding animal interactions, or those who appreciate humor in historical contexts may find this discussion engaging.

Ivan Seeking
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
8,252
Reaction score
2,664
Here is an odd bit of history.

Can anyone name the first person hanged in Massachusetts, and why? You'll wish you still couldn't after reading this.
[Here]
 
Science news on Phys.org
Thanks for sharing...:rolleyes: Have you already started on the Nyquil and Near Beer?
 
A turkey? A Turkey? A TURKEY?
Suddenely I'm all in favor of seeing the laws put back into the books.
 
hypatia said:
A turkey? A Turkey? A TURKEY?
Suddenely I'm all in favor of seeing the laws put back into the books.

Yeah, I was trying to figure that one out too, but then I thought I might sound like I've been in WV too long if the rest of the list didn't surprise me as much as a turkey did. :redface:
 
Moonbear said:
Thanks for sharing...:rolleyes: Have you already started on the Nyquil and Near Beer?


:smile: :smile: :smile: I couldn't drink that much NyQuil! No, I happened to catch it on The History Channel.
 
Gobble gobble...
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Gobble gobble...

Dangit, there are so many jokes that come to mind, and none of them suitable for general audiences. :-p
 
Thomas Granger (1625? – September 8, 1642) was a servant to Love Brewster, of Duxbury, in the Plymouth Colony of British North America. Granger, at the age of 16 or 17, was in 1642 caught in the act of bestiality with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey, and was likewise indicted.
All at the same time!?
 
Ménagery à trois
 
  • #10
Math Is Hard said:
All at the same time!?

:bugeye: As twisted as my mind can be, I cannot envision any way that you could catch someone in the act with ALL those at once. Maybe some of them are just voyeurs?
 
  • #11
Ivan Seeking said:
Ménagery à trois

http://deephousepage.com/smilies/Disappointed_anim.gif
Groan![/size]​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #12
Ivan's really outdoing himself lately!

It's crazy that there's (even today) special laws against bestiality (zoosexuality)! Why isn't the only question one of animal abuse? Oh, nevermind...don't tell me.
 
  • #13
Those laws are there to protect people from themselves.

Didn't you ever hear about the story of the guy who got (literally) screwed to death by a Horse?
 
  • #14
Dangit, there are so many jokes that come to mind, and none of them suitable for general audiences.

His last meal was stuffed turkey.
 
  • #15
While bird-fixation may seem a fairly unique obsession, Marquis de Sade seems to have been a fan of it, if we are to judge by "120 days in Sodom".
 

Similar threads

"Third-party" for email but who is which "person"?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Historical Novels? (Siege of Malta)
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
4K
Vanishing Pencil: Math/Physics Mystery from High School Teacher
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K
The work that is necessary to pull a hanging chain
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Why is the tension in a falling chain not equal to ρgy?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
History For WW2 buffs!
  • · Replies 133 ·
5
Replies
133
Views
28K
Can I get involved in an MIT Physics community?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Why does a fan cool you in a sealed room if it adds heat?
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
817
Guy who could read letters, but not numbers
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Undergrad Who was the first to find an initial singularity in GR models of the universe?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K