Why were public executions stopped in US & why are they resuming now. Common in US in 18th-19th centuries, public executions saw a turning point in 1936 when 20,000 people gathered to watch hanging of a black man convicted of rape. The circus-like environment and instances of botched hangings made states shift towards more humane and private punishments. Pentagon has now announced livestreaming of an execution to show that there are "serious consequences".