Why did citizens in frontier areas form committees of vigilance?

In frontier regions of the United States, citizens formed committees of vigilance primarily because formal justice systems had not yet been established or existing policing apparatuses were inadequate to address rampant crime.1

As the population expanded westward, the development of civil institutions often failed to keep pace with the needs of the settlers. In these environments, citizens—sometimes referred to as "regulators"—banded together to combat criminal activity, such as horse theft, gambling, and murder, and to introduce order where none existed. These groups sought immediate, personal justice and were often impatient with the technicalities and formalities of legal procedures.213

While these committees were viewed by participants as a socially constructive form of "lawlessness on behalf of lawfulness," they operated outside the law. This practice of private administration of criminal justice is often compared to historical forms of mob-led justice, and such organizations frequently played a significant role in the development of the American West.12