William Kemmler, a convicted murderer, gained notoriety for becoming the first individual to be executed by the electric chair, a method touted as a more humane alternative to hanging. He was sentenced to death for the brutal slaying of his girlfriend, Matilda Ziegler, in Buffalo, New York, during a dispute in 1889. The case received widespread attention due to its sensational details and the subsequent legal battles over the constitutionality and humanity of using electricity as a form of capital punishment.

The electric chair was introduced in the United States as an effort to reform the penal system and to establish a method of execution that would reduce suffering and the potential for botched executions. After extensive trials and debates over its effectiveness, the execution of Kemmler was scheduled to take place at Auburn Prison. On the morning of August 6, a crowd of witnesses—including reporters and prison officials—gathered to observe the historic moment. Kemmler was strapped into the chair, and the execution was administered with electric currents intended to cause instant death.

However, the execution was not without its issues. Initial attempts failed to kill Kemmler immediately, and he suffered severe burns, leading to a second application of electricity before he ultimately died. This sparked outrage and discussions regarding the morality and reliability of the electric chair as an execution method. The event was pivotal in igniting national discourse on capital punishment, its implementation, and the ethical ramifications surrounding it.