Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture and humiliation used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a type of mob vengeance. The victim would be stripped naked, or stripped to the waist. Hot wood tar was then either poured or painted onto the person while they were immobilized. The victim then either had feathers thrown on them or was rolled around on a pile of feathers so that they stuck to the tar. The image of a tarred-and-feathered outlaw remains a metaphor for severe public criticism.
This picture shows German-American farmer John Meints, of Luverne, Minnesota, who was tarred and feathered in August 1918 for allegedly not supporting war bond drives during World War I. The photograph is in the collection of the National Archives and Records Administration.Photograph credit: unknown; restored by Opencooper