In the Vortex of Violence: Lynching, Extralegal Justice, and the State in Post-Revolutionary Mexico

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Univ of California Press, Aug 18, 2020 - History - 230 pages
In the Vortex of Violence examines the uncharted history of lynching in post-revolutionary Mexico. Based on a collection of previously untapped sources, the book examines why lynching became a persistent practice during a period otherwise characterized by political stability and decreasing levels of violence. It explores how state formation processes, as well as religion, perceptions of crime, and mythical beliefs, contributed to shaping people’s understanding of lynching as a legitimate form of justice. Extending the history of lynching beyond the United States, this book offers key insights into the cultural, historical, and political reasons behind the violent phenomenon and its continued practice in Latin America today.
 

Contents

Between Civilization and Barbarity
15
In the Name of Christ
40
The Lynching of Atrocious Criminals
63
The Lynching of the Wicked
89
Notes
121
Bibliography
177
Index
195
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About the author (2020)

Gema Kloppe-Santamaría is Assistant Professor of Latin American History at Loyola University Chicago. She is the lead editor of Violence and Crime in Latin America: Representations and Politics and Human Security and Chronic Violence in Mexico: New Perspectives and Proposals from Below.

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