Vigilantism

Violence, as many historians have pointed out, is an American tradition (Friedman 1993: 175; Gurr 1989). Deeply embedded in the history of violence are the actions of vigilante groups and individuals, most of which are the stuff of romantic and popular mythology. In order to sort the myth from the reality and to understand the spirit and tradition of vigilantism in the United States, the concept must first be defined.

Richard Brown (1975: 95–96) provides one of the most widely accepted definitions of vigilantism: “organized, extralegal movements, the members of which take the law into their own hands.” More recently, some historians have taken a broader view of vigilantism by linking it directly to hate crimes and political motives. The following definition reinforces this view and is used to frame this discussion of vigilantism:

Historically, vigilantes fell into two different categories and targeted two specific groups. Scapegoating vigilantes were fueled largely by fear, intolerance, and hatred of those who were racially, ethnically, spiritually, or behaviorally different from white, Protestant Americans. Their targets were those who were different, or whom they perceived to be different, from the majority of people in their communities. Violence and terror were the tools they used to rid the community of an actual or perceived threat and restore the status quo. Patriot vigilantes were motivated by their anger toward unresponsive governors, landowners, and capitalists. [Page 1687]Their targets were federal and state legislators whom they felt levied unfair taxes, local officials who enforced debtor laws, landlords who supported tenancy, and factory owners who exploited workers.

Although vigilantism is usually discussed as a uniquely American development, it should be noted that in recent years, social scientists have started applying the concept to similar forms of behavior in other nations, and especially in Great Britain and postapartheid South Africa. In general however, social banditry and terrorism are used for forms of behavior similar to vigilantism outside the United States.