Category: Talks

History of Capital Punishment in New Jersey: A Talk at the Library

capital punishment in New Jersey

WHEN THE SHERIFF WAS THE EXECUTIONER

THE HISTORY OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN NEW JERSEY

PROGRAM AT THE AVALON FREE LIBRARY

JAN. 11, 2025 @ 1 p.m.

by Mike Dixon

235 32nd St.,

AVALON, NJ 08202

This program explores the complex history of capital punishment in New Jersey. The talk begins by examining the era when county sheriffs served as executioners and public hangings drew large crowds. Also, it delves into some grim crimes, particularly in South Jersey, to understand how early lawmen solved murders while navigating the legal system. The discussion then transitions to the modern era, highlighting key reforms such as the adoption of the electric chair in 1906 as a supposedly more humane method of execution. Throughout the presentation, we’ll analyze the shifting historical, cultural, legal, and ethical factors that shaped New Jersey’s approach to capital punishment.

For additional information about this talk, click this link.

Pikesville Speakers Series: CSI-The Historical Edition

Historian Mike Dixon reviews the advancements made in criminology that helped solve once unsolvable historical cold cases.

Wed., Dec. 4, 2024 @ 2 pm.

Pikesville Branch, Baltimore County Public Library

Television programs, such as Law and Order and CSI, have acquainted most people with the modern techniques for solving crimes. However, for most of our past, sleuths did as much as they could to investigate crimes, lacking the most basic of tools. There wasn’t much the sheriff, part-time constable, justice of the peace or coroner could do, except rely on obvious physical evidence and witnesses. As the scientific age arrived, great advances in police science allowed detectives to crack complex cases. Drawing on notorious crimes and real mysteries from yesteryear, this program shows how science, technology and professional police practices helped detectives catch and convict criminals and close once unsolvable cases.

CSI, the Historical Edition — A free program at the Pikesville Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library

Collision on Route 40: New Delaware Humanities Talk

I am pleased to announce that Delaware Humanities has selected my new talk, “Collision on Route 40: Cold War Tensions & Civil Rights,” for inclusion in the 2024-25 Speakers Bureau and Visiting Scholars program. This presentation delves into the unexpected role that Route 40, stretching across Delaware and Maryland, played as a battleground for Cold War tensions and the civil rights movement.

This vital corridor, linking Baltimore to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, witnessed the intersection of significant historical forces. Here, international diplomacy, African decolonization, Jim Crow laws, Soviet propaganda, and the courageous actions of Freedom Riders converged, creating a unique challenge for the Kennedy administration.  This talk will explore how these global tensions and domestic policies collided on Route 40, shaping the social and political landscape of the era

This complex history impacted international relations and local communities, establishing Route 40 as a focal point in the broader narratives of the Cold War and civil rights movement.   

The Delaware Humanities Speakers Program connects scholars with community groups, organizations, libraries, and K-12 classrooms throughout the state. These programs allow those with expertise in various humanities-centered fields to give enriching and informative presentations to local audiences.

Presentations are offered in two formats:

  1. Speakers Bureau Presentations – designed for public audiences.
  2. Visiting Scholars Presentations – tailored specifically for elementary and secondary school students.

If you want to book the Route 40 civil rights talk through the Humanities, click this link for more information.

Route 40 civil rights
A busy Route 40 in 1961. (Source: Life Magazine, 1961)

Temperance & Prohibition Talk at Court House Museum

beer parade detroit
1932 beer parade in Detroit, Michigan (Detroit News Photo, Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University)

I am pleased to speak at the New Castle Court House Museum on August 6, 2024, at 7 p.m. about the history of temperance and prohibition. 

The talk, part of the museum’s annual “History Revival” summer series, examines the historical attempts to regulate alcohol consumption over the centuries, with an emphasis on Prohibition. During the lecture, we will delve into compelling stories of rumrunners, moonshiners, bathtub gin, Coast Guard rum patrols, and the intriguing personalities that emerged during this era. We will also navigate the intricate landscape of Garden State politics, organized crime, and the influential role of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.

“Pass the Rum” is made possible in part by Delaware Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

The “History Revival,” an annual summer program, is sponsored by the New Castle Historial Society and the New Castle Court House Museum, a division of y Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs .

The program occurs at the Court House, 211 Delaware St., New Castle, DE.

For more information, click this link:

temperance prohibition talk new castle court house museum
Pass the Rum, a temperance and prohibition talk in New Castle.