Nathaniel Gordon (February 6, 1826 – February 21, 1862) was an American slave trader who holds a unique place in the legal history of the United States. He is the only individual to have been tried, convicted, and executed by the U.S. federal government for engaging in the slave trade.
Gordon's conviction was secured under the Piracy Law of 1820, which legally defined participation in the slave trade by American citizens as an act of piracy. Because of this specific legal classification, his death on February 21, 1862, also made him the last person to be executed for piracy in the history of the United States.