Traditionally there are three crimes that earned the death penalty.
1st degree murder
Rape
Kidnapping
Of course this was back in the old days when true men had stones and the lawyers hadn’t taken over the world.
Traditionally speaking, in 1700s Britain, there were 222 crimes which were punishable by death, including crimes such as cutting down a tree or stealing an animal.
Similar laws applied in colonial America. In Boston, a 12 year old was hanged for stealing a pair of shoes with silver buckles.