Brym and Lie conclude that lynching was:

A) caused by traditional social life
B) unconnected to traditional social life
C) a form of collective action that was intended to maintain traditional social life
D) a result of the social disruption caused by the mechanization of agriculture
E) all of these choices

Brym and Lie argue that lynching was a form of collective action intended to maintain traditional social life, particularly in the context of the post-Civil War period when African Americans were striving for greater political, economic, and social equality. They suggest that lynching served as a means for whites to assert their power and enforce racial hierarchy, and that it was often supported and even celebrated by local communities. While traditional social life and the mechanization of agriculture may have played some role in creating the conditions for lynching, the authors ultimately see it as a deliberate and strategic response to social change.