Not as Funny as it Sounds

I just finished watching the first two parts of the John Adams miniseries on HBO, and I found it to be quite good. I’ll let those who have a better grasp of the man’s history to debate the shows historical merits, but what it did remind me while I watched it, was how terrible tarring and feathering was. Based on the polished grammar school history books and Warner Brothers’ cartoons, I assume most American children see the act similar to the use of a dunce hat.

Obviously, the reality is far from the toned down presentation given to schoolchildren. While the tarring and feathering was intended to humiliate or scare an individual out of a town or a community, the hot tar would leave lasting scars on the injured party so that were recognizable victims of the act. During the War for American Independence, the tarring of Tories happened with greater regularity and ferocity, resulting in the deaths of several victims.