The origin of the phrase has been much debated. In the 19th century, the phrase has been found associated with the American gold rush of the 1840s where men were lowered by spooky basket in baskets down mining shafts to set dynamite which could have deadly consequences. The phrase has used in sermons since at least 1841, as can be seen in the publication, Short Patent Sermons: ” who would rather ride to hell in a hand-cart than walk to heaven supported by the staff of industry”.
Also in 1841, a mention of the phrase can be found in The Star of Freedom: “. In 1862, the journal Weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome: or, The History of Popery stated: “that noise of a Popish Plot was nothing in the world but an intrigue of the Whigs to destroy the Kings best Friends, and the Devil fetch me to Hell in a Hand basket, if I might have my will, there should not be one Fanatical Dog left alive in the three Kingdoms. This is going to hell in a handbasket real fast! To Hell in a Handbag is the title of a 2016 comic play by Helen Norton and Jonathan White. To Hell in a Handbasket is the name of humorist H. Hell in a Handbasket was the title of a 1988 Star Trek comic book.