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Lynching - GCSE History Definition

Reviewed by: Zoe Wade

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Lynching is when a person is killed by a group of people without a fair trial, often because of hatred or prejudice. This act is illegal and involves violence, such as hanging or beating. In history, particularly in the United States, lynching was used to murder Black Americans, especially during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

It was a tool of law enforcement in the American West, where mobs would take the law into their own hands and punish individuals they believed, often wrongly, had committed crimes. Understanding lynching is important for learning about racial injustice and civil rights struggles.

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Zoe Wade

Reviewer: Zoe Wade

Expertise: History Content Creator

Zoe has worked in education for 10 years as a teaching assistant and a teacher. This has given her an in-depth perspective on how to support all learners to achieve to the best of their ability. She has been the Lead of Key Stage 4 History, showing her expertise in the Edexcel GCSE syllabus and how best to revise. Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been passionate about history. She believes now, more than ever, the study of history is vital to explaining the ever-changing world around us. Zoe’s focus is to create accessible content that breaks down key historical concepts and themes to achieve GCSE success.

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