The Philadelphia Bible Riots

Mobs don't think, as the adage goes, but they have often substituted for thinking by playing a leading role in fomenting political disagreements and deciding political questions. Mobs fill vacuums. They arise and pose a threat in multiple circumstances: when government is weak or ineffective; where government actively participates in actions that a large proportion of the population perceives to be unjust; and when mobs and governments join forces to assault an out-of-favor group. American history is replete with examples of each.