Why Was John Malcolm Tarred and Feathered?

His pompous and overbearing manner had so angered the sailors that they'd disarmed him of his sword and provided him with a “genteel” coat of tar and feathers—genteel in that they'd left his clothes on to protect his skin from the hot tar.

Why did they tar and feather John Malcolm?

“A New Method of Macarony Making, as Practised at Boston”, 1774. So enraged were local sailors by Malcom's behavior, that he was “disarm'd of Sword, Cane, Hat & Wig”[9], tarred and feathered over his clothes, and paraded through the streets for about an hour before being released.

What was the point of tar and feathering?

Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture and punishment used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a type of mob vengeance.