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To Kill a Mockingbird. Scottsboro Trial. Social and Economic Climate of the 1930s. Wall Street Crash (October 1929) People invested in shares Prices increased Companies bogus. Social and Economic Climate of the 1930s. The Rise of Unemployment. The Effect of the Wall Street Crash
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To Kill a Mockingbird Scottsboro Trial
Social and Economic Climate of the 1930s • Wall Street Crash (October 1929) • People invested in shares • Prices increased • Companies bogus
Social and Economic Climate of the 1930s The Rise of Unemployment • The Effect of the Wall Street Crash • People saved money • Withdrew money from banks • Banks collapsed • Companies went bankrupt • Result • Loss of jobs, homes, businesses, and land
Scottsboro Case • Two Huntsville Mill Girls Hobo to Chattanooga • Victoria Price • 21 years old • Known prostitute • Employed at Margaret spinning mill • Ruby Bates • 17 years old • Quiet and well behaved • Employed at Margaret spinning mill
The Alleged Rape According to Price’s testimony: African-American men forced white men off train Six men raped Price and Bates The Defendants Scottsboro Case
Accused • Haywood Patterson; sentenced to 75 years in prison • Charles Weems; sentenced to 75 years in prison • Ozie Powell; dropped rape charges and plead guilty to assault on an officer • Andy Wright; sentenced to 99 years in prison • Olen Montgomery; charges dropped • Eugene Williams, charges dropped • Willie Roberson; charges dropped • Clarence Norris; sentenced to death • Roy Wright, 13 years old; charges dropped
A Lynching Spirit Officials maintain a peaceful crowd Due to concerns of a lynch mob, Governor Miller ordered the National Guard to protect the suspects Armed soldiers on guard inside and outside the courtroom An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people gather outside the courthouse Outside the Courtroom Scottsboro Case
Scottsboro Case Political Cartoon
Scottsboro Case • The Trial • April 6, 1931 – April 9, 1931 • Witnesses • Price and Bates • One white man (collaborated) • Nine African-American men • Acquaintance of women (did not collaborate) • Physician • Eight of nine men sentenced to death • Six were identified by Price • A guard said, “If those six had Miss Price, it stand to reason that the others had Miss Bates.”
Scottsboro Case • Trial Continues • November 7, 1932 United States Supreme Court orders new trial • March 27, 1933 the new trial begins • Famous New York defense attorney Samuel S. Leibowitz • Two physicians refute that multiple rapes occurred • Prosecution’ eyewitness farmer claimed he saw the blacks grab Price and Bates. • On cross, Liebowitz asked how he could be sure given the distance and the speed of the train. The farmer said they were wearing women’s clothes, but Bates and Price were wearing overalls. • Ruby Bates openly denies rapes occurred • April 9, 1933 first defendant found guilty • Judge James Horton overturns conviction • April 1, 1935 United States Supreme Court reversed all convictions
In the 1930’s Alabama jurors were not willing to accord a black charged with raping a white woman the usual presumption of innocence. Because of indifferent jurors and career-motivated prosecutors, the self-serving and groundless accusations of a single woman were allowed to change forever the lives of nine black teenagers who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time
To Kill a MockingbirdHistorical Background Quiz Directions: • Visit the following Internet site: • http://www.quia.com/tq/243735.html • Complete the To Kill a Mockingbird Background Quiz (click here to begin >>)
