What did whites hope to do by lynching African American?

Whites hoped to instill fear and maintain social control over African Americans through lynching, reinforcing racial hierarchies and perpetuating white supremacy. Lynching served as a brutal form of vigilante justice, often justified by unfounded accusations, and aimed to deter African Americans from asserting their rights or challenging the status quo. This violence was also a means of community solidarity among white populations, reinforcing their perceived dominance and power in a racially divided society.