First man executed

First man executed from the death penalty?

The first recorded execution in the new colonies was  of Captain George Kendall (picture to the left) in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608.Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. 4 years later they created a new law. The new law stated that the death penalty can be used for petty crimes also (stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians)

My thoughts : After finding out why Captain George Kendall was executed I was surprised that they had spies out in 1608. Once I heard that I had to read more. Later I found out that they made the death penalty able to be used for minor offenses.