Nathaniel Gordon
Nathaniel Gordon | |
|---|---|
An 1862 illustration of Gordon's execution by Harper's Weekly | |
| Born | February 6, 1826 Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | February 21, 1862 (aged 36) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Motive | Financial gain |
| Conviction | Engaging in the slave trade (33 U.S.C. § 381) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | Hundreds |
Span of crimes | 1851 – August 8, 1860 (allegedly did another voyage in 1848) |
| Locations | Atlantic Ocean, Western Africa |
| Target | Africans |
Date apprehended | August 8, 1860 |
Nathaniel Gordon (February 6, 1826 – February 21, 1862) was an American slave trader who was the only person in the United States to be tried, convicted, and executed by the federal government for having "engaged in the slave trade" under the Piracy Law of 1820.