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oLynching was a practice used by whites to maintain white supremacy in, mainly, the Post -Reconstruction era. Although lynchings had occured before this period there was a large increase during and after the Reconstruction because whites felt that it was a necessary time to implement control upon the blacks. They believe that fear was the only way to control blacks. Lynchings occured in many different methods. Hangings and shootings were standard while maimings, castration, dismemberment, burning at the stake, or other methods of physical torture.
eeeAlthough it might be believe otherwise, lynchings not only occured in the South but in the North and West as well. In fact, lynchings occured in all of the continental United States with the exception of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
eeeMost lynchings, commonly, occured in small towns where the conditions for blacks and whites were relatively the same. Whites viewed blacks as economic competitors and resented an advancement on their part. It was easy in these in these small towns to gather mobs in order to persecute the accused. Rarely were the leaders of the lynching mob ever persecuted. State authorities tried at points to prevent lynchings, but rarely did anything to punish those who participated in the lynchings. Often, police officials and officers could be found in the mob. If mobs were ever charged, they were most likely pardoned.
oooThe decline in lynchings cannot be definitely explained but there are certain theories. One is the rise of distaste of southern elites for this sort of anti-Negro violence, such as Southern women and businessmen.
ttttThe NAACP played a major role in the decline of lynchings in America because it brought attention the horrors of lynchings throughout the United States.

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