  Movements against the death penalty have occurred regularly throughout the course of American history. At the beginning of the American Revolution, public officials began to criticize capital punishment, viewing it as antithetical to the new nation's republic deals. The shifting approaches to punishment during the three reform oriented eras reflected historic changes in popular explanations of criminal behavior. In relation to this matter, the public debate over Chessman's execution illustrated the specific influences shaping popular opposition to the death penalty in the postwar period.