Introduction: the contours of capital punishment -- History of U.S. race and ethnic relations -- Death sentencing and death sentence outcomes: review of prior empirical studies -- A case study of three American states -- Research findings for California, Florida, and Texas: a quantitative analysis -- Race, ethnicity, and gender from 1608 to 2010: a qualitative analysis -- Conclusion: transforming an historical culture of executions -- Afterword: the future of capital punishment