The packed courtroom was absolutely silent as the 12 all-white people and all men took their seats in the jury box. Chief Justice Albert Mason, one of the judges presiding over the murder case, asked Charles I. Richards, the foreman, to stand. Mr Richards was invited to read the verdict. “Not guilty,” replied the foreman. Even though the circumstantial and physical evidence indicated that Lizzie Borden was guilty of murdering her stepmother and father, the all-male jury, men with some financial means, could not understand that a good woman raised and a Sunday school teacher could commit such a heinous crime (Linder 7). Today, juries are much more diverse. Men, women and people from diverse backgrounds are called to be part of the jury. Although the origin of the jury system is unclear, history has shown that William the Conqueror of Normandy introduced a similar system to England around 1066 CE (Judge of Vermont 1). After the American Revolutionary War, the jury system became the American ideal of justice. This essay will explore the history of the American jury system and illustrate its evolution throughout American history. The first American jury system began with the Pilgrims as early as 1620. In fact, the first jury trial took place in Massachusetts. in 1630 (History of the Jury System in Massachusetts 1). In this trial, John Billington was on trial for the murder of John Newcomin. John Billington was found guilty and sent to the gallows. In 1641, Massachusetts determined that all “freemen could serve on two juries per year” (History of the Jury System in Massachusetts 2). Anyone refusing to serve on the jury would be fined. This continues to be the consequence even today. It is important to note that "fre...... middle of paper...... men to serve on a jury." However, this was a rare occurrence and it was not until 1979, in Common Wealth V. Edward J. Soars, that a judge ruled against any practice of deliberately barring African Americans from serving on a jury (The Long Road to Justice 2). The first woman, Eliza Stewart, was one of five Laramie Wyoming women called to serve on a jury in 1870. Citizens of the United States have the right to a fair trial. During the development of the American jury system, citizens were given the right to meet their accuser, to be represented by their peers, and to be protected from retrial for a convicted crime. The jury system has evolved from representation comprised only of white men to men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds. This is important if one wants to be judged in one's community of peers..