This is not your Allman Brother's 'Whipping Post!'

Back in 17th and 18th century, the whipping post was a mainstay on almost all town greens and was known as 'judicial corporate punishment.' According to Wikipedia:

"The Founders believed whipping and other forms of corporal punishment effectively promoted pro-social and prevented anti-social behavior"

According to an article on the nbcconnecticut website there's been controversy brewing regarding the whipping post from Colonial times that remains on Waterbury's Town Green. because of what it used to represent which were public whippings of people because of their crimes such as hog theft, disturbing the peace, murder, blasphemy, witchcraft, along with many more. Slaves were often found in the town green's stocks and/or whipping posts because they had their own set of laws they were required to follow.

Whipping post, Delaware
Library of Congress
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This past Thursday, Waterbury Mayor, Neil O'Leary made the decision to have the whipping post removed from the town green saying:

"We don't want anybody to feel anxiety or to feel fear. The Green is the center of the city of Waterbury."

The whipping post eventually went from the main source of public punishment and humiliation to a town's message board and a source of communication between the town's residents. Personally I believe it's a part of the town's history and should be left standing as is. Depending on who you ask, there are individuals, even in the 21st century that will tell you maybe we should bring the stockades and whipping posts back especially in this current political climate.

 

 

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