Execution of William Kemmler: The First Use of the Electric Chair in 1890

William Kemmler (1860–1890) was an American produce merchant who became the first person in history executed by electric chair. In March 1889, Kemmler murdered his common-law wife, Matilda Ziegler, during a drunken argument in Buffalo, New York. Convicted of murder, he was sentenced under a new law in New York that replaced hanging with electrocution, which was promoted as a more 'humane' method of execution. Kemmler's legal team appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that electrocution constituted cruel and unusual punishment, but the court upheld the law. On August 6, 1890, Kemmler faced execution at Auburn Prison. Despite appearing calm and composed, the procedure was a grisly failure. The first 700–1,000 volt shock lasted 17 seconds but did not kill him. A second, more powerful 2,000-volt jolt was applied, producing smoke, the smell of burning flesh, and severe physical trauma. The event highlighted early technological rivalries, as Thomas Edison had promoted the use of alternating current to discredit competitor George Westinghouse. Kemmler's execution remains a pivotal moment in the history of capital punishment and electricity use in criminal justice, marking a controversial transition from hanging to electrocution as a method of execution.