Rose Butler

Rose Butler (November 1799 – 1819) was an enslaved domestic worker in New York City. In July 1819, she was hanged for arson. At the time, the only capital crimes in New York State were first-degree arson and murder. She was the last person executed in New York State for arson.

Rose Butler's execution was a watershed in many respects. The context surrounding her crime and sentencing highlights community anxieties, shifting ideologies on race and status, and gives a glimpse of what the institution of slavery was like in New York City, a subject that is seldom discussed. Provided by Wikipedia