SHOCKING INVENTION! The Electric Chair Was Invented By a Dentist!

The search for a more humane method of execution in the late 19th century took an unexpected turn with the invention of the electric chair by a dentist, Alfred P. Southwick. Southwick, a steam-boat engineer, dentist, and professor from Buffalo, New York, conceived the idea after witnessing an intoxicated man die instantly and seemingly painlessly from touching a live electrical generator in 1881. This incident struck him as a stark contrast (Review) to the often gruesome and protracted nature of hangings, which were the prevalent method of capital punishment at the time and were drawing increasing public criticism for being botched.

Driven by the belief that electricity could provide a quicker and less painful death, Southwick began advocating for its use in capital punishment. His background as a dentist, accustomed to working with patients seated, likely influenced the design of his proposed device: an "electric chair" to restrain the condemned. In 1886, New York Governor David B. Hill appointed a commission, which included Southwick, to investigate a more humane form of execution. The commission ultimately recommended electrocution using Southwick's electric chair concept.

This period also coincided with the "War of Currents," a fierce rivalry between Thomas Edison, who championed direct current (DC), and George Westinghouse, who advocated for alternating current (AC). Despite his personal opposition to capital punishment, Edison saw an opportunity to demonize Westinghouse's AC system by promoting its use in the electric chair, hoping to brand AC as inherently deadly and dangerous for public use. He even secretly financed the construction of the first electric chair and suggested the term "Westinghoused" for electrocution. Ironically, the first execution by electric chair in 1890, that of William Kemmler, was far from humane, requiring multiple jolts of electricity and sparking debate over the true humanity of the new method.