Geographic Distribution
T
he following intensity map illustrates the geographic diversity of executions of women for the entirety of the timeframe covered by the Espy File. Not surprisingly, the original thirteen colonies show a larger representation of the total, whereas the North West and the middle of the country show none. According to Blackman and McLaughlin, this absence of information could be due to geographical biases in the original research, but further study is required to verify.
Based on what is contained in the database, the state of Virginia skews the entire map with 88 total women executed. The geographic dissemination of these results, coupled with the spike in the 1830s may either reinforce or belie the known patriarchal standards that existed in the South for much of our history. As such, these findings open opportunities for future study of American cultural responses to women accused of violent crimes, especially in the South.