Final answer:
The San Francisco Vigilance Committee was formed in response to political corruption and violence during the mid-19th century, as citizens took justice into their own hands due to the inefficiencies of the legal system. The correct answer is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
What prompted the formation of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee? The correct answer is B. Political corruption and violence were the primary factors that led to the establishment of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee. In the mid-19th century, San Francisco was grappling with rampant crime, corruption among public officials, and a failing legal system.
The committee was formed as a group of private citizens who took it upon themselves to maintain order and administer justice, as they saw fit, outside of the traditional legal authorities which they viewed as ineffective and corrupt.
This movement was part of the larger vigilante tradition in the American West, where citizens often felt compelled to take the rule of law into their own hands due to the inadequacies of the existing legal and political institutions. The correct answer is B.