Episodes

Episode 1: Welcome to the History of Murder Podcast!

Welcome! Today’s episode is an introduction to the History of Murder podcast series. 

In this episode, we ask all the important questions: what is murder and who cares about its history? Is it really murder when you cannibalize your shipmate in a moment of desperation? It is? Darn. Also what is the common law? And what is this podcast all about?

The History of Murder Podcast is a legal history podcast that looks at the crime of murder and how it developed over time in the common law.

As we discuss in today’s episode, the common law is one of the world’s major legal systems. It’s the basis for the legal system in numerous countries — almost anywhere that was once an English or British colony. This includes the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Cyprus, India, Pakistan and Singapore, to name just a few. It originates in England (and Wales!), and so much of the older history we look at in this podcast will focus on English history, although we’ll certainly see developments in other places too, especially in the post-Revolutionary USA.

Please use the contact page to reach out if you have questions or comments, or message us on Twitter @murderhistorian (caveat: not a historian)!