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ActivityPeople have noticed subtle differences in fingerprint patterns for centuries. The following websites illustrate this history. Browse the sites listed and answer these questions.
  1. What is Dactyloscopy?
  2. Why were fingerprints used in Ancient Babylon?
  3. When and why were fingerprints first used in the United States?
  4. In which country were fingerprints used to identify a woman who murdered her two sons?
  5. Which state in the United States first used fingerprints for criminals?
  6. What famous criminal case made fingerprinting the standard for personal identification?
  7. How many methods are there for taking fingerprints?
  8. How do we classify fingerprints?
Download Questions
Crime Scene Forensics
Fingerprinting: A Lesson in Classification
History of Fingerprints
U.S. Marshals Service Fingerprint History

Fingerprints weren't used as a method for identifying criminals until the 19th century. In 1858, Sir William Herschel, a British Administrator in India, required fingerprint and signatures on civil contracts.

Fingerprinting Teacher's Guide

 

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