James Pratt and John Smith

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/james-pratt-and-john-smith

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the year of execution?1835
2. What is the location of events?England
3. Who were James Pratt and John Smith?They were two men who lived in Britain in the 1800s. In 1835, they were executed for a crime called sodomy, which was the last time the death penalty was used for that offense in Britain.
4. Why were James Pratt and John Smith executed?They were arrested for sodomy, a crime that carried the death penalty at that time. The law said that people who did this could be put to death.

Sodomy: An archaic term in English law referring to specific sexual acts, historically used to criminalize same-sex relations and other acts.
Capital Punishment: The death penalty, a sentence of death imposed by a court of law.
Accessory: A person who aids, abets, or encourages the commission of a crime, even if not the principal offender.
Posthumous Pardon: A formal act of forgiveness granted to an individual for a conviction after their death, acknowledging the injustice of the original judgment.