What constitutes a crime? In early Charles Towne, the majority of prosecuted crimes involved slander against the government, or actions that endangered the colony or threatened its profit. This differed from New England colonies, where religious or moral laws ruled daily life.
A harsh, yet common, punishment was to tie the offender to "the usual tree" where lashes were "well laid on the naked back." Lesser offenders received time in the stocks or pillory, while some were locked in a room. Humiliating and sometimes painful, these punishments occurred for all to see, creating a deterrent for others.
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