Deterrence was a primary purpose of executions in colonial American that is much less important today.
Explanation:
No one, in today's date, is subject to execution merely for exhibiting deterrence against any action planned by the government or its subordinate authorities.
Rather, citizens are provided with the freedom to deter by giving them certain rights like the right to speech, right to assemble peacefully, etc.
Moreover, it is also true that the display of extreme deterrence is not usual these days.
