Final answer:
Mob violence and lynching were used in American society to enforce social norms and control behavior, in order to maintain white supremacy and intimidate African Americans. It was made a public spectacle to reinforce racial hierarchies and prevent challenges to the societal status quo.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of mob violence and lynching in American society was primarily to enforce social norms and control behavior, particularly concerning racial hierarchies and white supremacy. This is best represented by option a) To enforce social norms and control behavior. Lynchings in the United States were a brutal form of punishment that overwhelmingly targeted African Americans. They served as a means of social control, intended to maintain the pre-existing racial order and instill fear within the black community.
Lynching became a public spectacle as it reinforced the notion of white supremacy and acted as a warning to other African Americans about the consequences of challenging the established social order. The public display was a part of a collective display meant to bolster white supremacy. Despite the grotesque nature, perpetrators were rarely prosecuted, demonstrating the profound racial injustice embedded in society.
Efforts to pass federal anti-lynching legislation were resisted by white southern politicians who did not want federal intervention in what they perceived as a regional issue. This further highlights the intent behind lynching, which was not simply an act of punishment for a crime but a socio-political tool used by white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and other like-minded individuals to suppress and intimidate African Americans and enforce Jim Crow laws and racial segregation.