Thomas Hickey (hanged 28 June 1776) was a Continental Army soldier in the American Revolutionary War, and the first person executed for treason against what would become the United States. Born in Ireland, he came to America as a soldier in the British Army, but deserted to the other side. He became part of the Life Guard, which protected General George Washington, his staff, and the Continental Army's payroll. Hickey was jailed for passing counterfeit money, tried and executed for mutiny and sedition, and may have been involved in an assassination plot.