"Similarly, the French Revolution produced its 'terror,' which had no parallel in America. Tens of thousands were executed, price controls were imposed that caused food shortages, Christianity was deprecated and priests lynched."  

The anachronistic use of "lynch" comes from American Lynch law, referring to the incarceration of Loyalist supporters of the British by Charles Lynch of Virginia with no legal authority whatsoever.  Lynch was so concerned about potential liability for his actions that he later had his friends in the Congress of the Confederation pass a law specifically exonerating him and his associates from wrongdoing.  Our "terror" might have been more of a "worry" -- a bit less lethal -- but we weren't saints either.