Tarring and Feathering

Definition

Tarring and feathering was a form of public humiliation used by colonists against those they perceived as enemies, often loyalists or tax collectors. It involved covering someone in hot tar followed by feathers.

Analogy

Imagine being forced to wear a ridiculous costume at school that everyone laughs at - it's embarrassing, right? That's kind of what tarring and feathering was like. It wasn't just physically uncomfortable; it was meant to shame the person publicly.

Related terms

Loyalists/Tories: These were American colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War.

Sons of Liberty: A secret society formed in the American colonies to oppose British policies prior to the Revolutionary War. They are known for organizing protests such as Boston Tea Party.

Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts: A series of punitive laws passed by Parliament in 1774 after Boston Tea Party, meant to punish Massachusetts colonists for their defiance.