Vigilantism originated in the 1830s in the US, with different motivations in the South and West. Vigilance committees were formed to keep slaves from running and to restore order where there was no law. The actions of vigilantes can vary in degree of violence and history and media determine whether they are heroes or lawbreakers.
While the modern definition of the word vigilante refers to a person who takes the law into their own hands, the word once had a much more specific meaning. The origin of vigilantism began in the early 1830s and developed slightly differently in the southern and western areas of the United States. When the word was introduced into the English language in the 1860s, vigilante referred to members of a vigilante committee, which had slightly different motivations depending on the area of the country.
During the 1830s, the Deep South was entrenched in slavery, and abolitionists worked around the clock to help free slaves. Vigilance committees were originally formed in the South to keep slaves from running and abolitionists from aiding them. Later, northern abolitionists formed vigilance committees to help slaves running away from their owners in the South.
During the time of the California Gold Rush, a large number of saloons were erected, providing the miners with endless opportunities to drink, gamble, and fornicate. Disgruntled citizens formed watchdog groups to help restore order where there was no law, where they felt the law wasn’t enforced properly, or where they felt the law enforced wasn’t tough enough. In addition to San Francisco’s Barbary Coast, vigilance committees formed in rural areas throughout the Old West.
The motives of the vigilantes were honorable in many cases, especially in the West. Many times vigilante groups have been responsible for breaking up outlawed groups that terrorized citizens in rural mining communities. Things were different in the South, where vigilante gangs often lynched or hanged innocent people and used the law as their shield. One of the best known vigilante groups is the Ku Klux Klan, which is said to have been responsible for the lynching of large numbers of black people throughout its history. In contrast, a neighborhood watch group is an example of a modern watchdog group that has reasons to stop crime, with or without the help of a local police force.
The actions performed by vigilantes can vary according to the degree of violence. As in the lynching of blacks, there was extreme violence and murder. However, in some cases vigilantism may include only verbal attacks or vandalism. History and the media have played a large part in determining whether vigilantes are heroes or lawbreakers.
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