when was the death penalty first used in the united states
Capital punishment in the United States The first recorded death sentence in the British North American colonies was carried out in 1608 on Captain George Kendall,[10] who was executed by firing squad[11] at the Jamestown colony for spying for the Spanish government.[12]
Capital punishment by the United States federal government It can be handed down for treason, espionage, murder, large-scale drug trafficking, or attempting to kill a witness, juror, or court officer in certain cases; but all inmates currently under federal death sentences were condemned for aggravated murder. Executions performed by the federal government are infrequent compared to those performed by state governments.[1][2]