History of Stocks in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: November 21, 2025

Stocks were a type of restraining device historically used as a form of punishment and public shaming. Evidence suggests their use dates back to Ancient Greece, as described in Solon's law code. The stocks involved confining a person's feet, and the duration of confinement could be determined by the court or authority imposing the punishment.

1989: Dermott, Arkansas Passes Curfew Law with Stocks Punishment

In 1989, the town of Dermott, Arkansas, enacted a curfew law that stipulated punishments including jail time for offenders and time in the stocks for the offender's parents. However, the city quickly remitted the punishment due to lacking a set of stocks and allocated funds for their construction.

2012: Adulterers Placed in Stocks by Sampues Tribe in Colombia

In 2012, in Colombia, Alfreda Blanco Basilio and Luis Martinez were placed in stocks by the Sampues tribe because of Basilio's adultery. Basilio spent 72 hours barefoot in the stocks for her offense.

2016: Thame, England Proposal to Build Stocks for Charity

In 2016, the British town of Thame gained international attention with a proposal to construct stocks for hire and charitable events. Councillor David Bretherton suggested using the stocks for fundraising activities, such as having people donate money to tickle the feet of those in the stocks. The stocks were not intended for punishment, but rather for entertainment purposes.

2020: Residents Placed in Stocks for Violating Quarantine in Chinu, Colombia

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, police in Chinu, Colombia, placed residents who violated quarantine orders in stocks for a few hours as a form of punishment.