![]() Though this was usually the case, sometimes the vigilance committee began to wield too much power and became corrupt. The vigilantes were often seen as heroes and supported by the law-abiding citizens, seen as a necessary step to fill a much-needed gap. Sometimes, however, vigilante groups formed where “authority” did exist but where the “law” was deemed weak, intimidated by criminal elements, corrupt, or insufficient. Justice included whipping and banishment from the town, but offenders were often lynched. These groups often formed before any law and order existed in a new settlement. Vigilantes were most common in mining communities but were also known to exist in cow towns and farming settlements. The term vigilante stems from its Spanish equivalent, meaning private security agents. In the Wild West, where the law was often non-existent, vigilantes often took “enforcement of the law” and moral codes into their own hands. ![]()
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