Pardon or Punish? Legal and Community Interpretations of a Nineteenth-Century Infanticide

Abstract

This article discusses the 1809 conviction of Susanna Cox for first-degree murder following the death of her newborn son. It uses sources from history and oral tradition in order to examine the case’s long- and short-term ramifications for political and social interpretations of capital punishment within Pennsylvania. I explore the impact one case could have on legal history, the treatment of accused and convicted women, issues of linguistic separation within the courtroom, and changing legislative patterns within the Commonwealth. These factors contributed to the case’s ongoing impact on regional and ethnic social memory.