Congress Bans Flogging on U.S. Naval Ships (1850)
On September 28, 1850, U.S. Congress officially banned flogging on U.S. naval ships.
During the 1800s, flogging was a popular form of punishment that proved to be a staple in the U.S. Navy. Flogging is essentially an act that amounts to the beating or whipping of the human body, often with a cat o’ nine tails or a rod.
It was during the 1800s that Senator John Hale of New Hampshire took on the mission of encouraging Congress to ban this type of punishment, which was originally put in place in the Articles of War, penned by John Adams in 1775. Despite the efforts of Senator Hale, U.S. Navy officials defended the punishment, insisting that it was an effective means of controlling the disorderly men on board the naval warships.
Although Senator Hale faced opposition from naval officials, Congress eventually banned flogging on all U.S. naval ships on September 28, 1850. Flogging was ultimately banned from all branches of the military twelve years later in July 1862.