Not just a wordsmith, at which he had few equals, the third president of the United States was a whiz at math, philosophy, history, and the languages (he was proficient in French, Latin and Greek). And that was just as a college student at the College of William and Mary.
The Eighth Amendment (Amendment VIII) of the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishments. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause also applies to the states.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment. The protection from cruel and unusual punishment is perhaps the most famous part of the Eighth Amendment. This section is meant to prevent horrible punishments such as putting someone's eye out, cutting off their hands, whipping people, or locking people in stocks.