Scottsboro boys to kill a mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird: Historical Context Essay: The âScottsboro Boysâ Trials 2022-11-15
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The Scottsboro Boys were a group of nine African American teenagers who were falsely accused of raping two white women in Alabama in 1931. The case received national attention and sparked outrage, as it exemplified the deep-seated racism and injustice that permeated the American South at the time. The trial and subsequent legal proceedings were marked by numerous irregularities and violations of the defendants' rights, and all nine of the Scottsboro Boys were ultimately convicted and sentenced to death.
The Scottsboro Boys case is often compared to the events depicted in Harper Lee's classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," which was published in 1960. Both stories center on a black man falsely accused of a crime and the subsequent trial that ensues. In "To Kill a Mockingbird," the character of Tom Robinson is falsely accused of raping a white woman, just as the Scottsboro Boys were accused of raping two white women. Both cases highlight the deeply ingrained racism and prejudice that existed in the American South at the time, as well as the legal system's failure to provide fair and equal treatment for African Americans.
One of the main similarities between the Scottsboro Boys case and "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the way in which the defendants were treated unfairly by the legal system. In both cases, the accused were denied due process and had their rights violated at various stages of the legal proceedings. For example, the Scottsboro Boys were not given adequate legal representation and were subjected to a biased and unfair trial. Similarly, Tom Robinson is denied a fair trial in "To Kill a Mockingbird," as he is convicted despite the lack of evidence against him and the clear bias of the all-white jury.
Another parallel between the Scottsboro Boys case and "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the way in which racism and prejudice played a major role in the outcome of the trials. In both cases, the defendants were wrongly accused and convicted due in large part to the racial biases of the judges, juries, and other legal officials involved. The Scottsboro Boys were repeatedly denied justice and fairness due to the racism and prejudice of the white community, and Tom Robinson suffers the same fate in "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Ultimately, both the Scottsboro Boys case and "To Kill a Mockingbird" serve as powerful reminders of the racism and injustice that have long plagued American society. They also serve as a call to action for people to stand up against these injustices and work towards a more equal and just society.
Scottsboro Boys In To Kill A Mockingbird
They will compare the factual trial report with the fictional trial observations to determine the character of the plaintiff s or accusers in both cases. Students should refer back to the textual evidence gathered in Worksheet 1 to support their responses. However, his sentence was commuted by then Alabama Governor Benjamin Miller, who deemed the evidence to be insufficient. L to R Justin Mark Jem Finch , Richard Thomas Atticus Finch , Melanie Moore Scout Finch , and Steven Lee Johnson Dill Harris in To Kill a Mockingbird. The similarities of the societies of that Real Events In To Kill A Mockingbird The way a person perceives things while they are growing up depends on what side of the event or situation that the individual is on. However, this is not a mere story that touches the subject of coping with racism. Throughout this era there was a great deal of racial discrimination and the expectation that no one would try to argue with the whites assumed authority.
Tom Robinson also symbolizes the innocence of the Mockingbird portrayed in the title of the book. In this lesson, students will perform a comparative close reading of select informational texts from the Scottsboro Boys trials alongside sections from To Kill a Mockingbird. Using the primary and secondary sources of the first Scottsboro trial of 1933 and excerpts from To Kill a Mockingbird, have them identify descriptive passages of and quotations from each of these historical and fictional characters. What does the fact that Haywood Patterson was tried 4 times say to you about the trial itself and the participants involved? Does this limitation have anything to do with the age or life experience of the observer? In the book To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee created a poor society going through hard times when many people are losing their jobs and not getting enough to eat. To Kill a Mockingbird also reflects the Scottsboro Boys trial, one of the best-known cases of the 1930s.
In the novel, killing a mockingbird is considered a symbol of destruction of innocence. Assessment: Groups of students select one set of characters they have compared from the two trials. Nine Scottsboro Boys Essay 489 Words 2 Pages The forefathers of the United States built this country on the ideals of freedom and equality for all people. Mississippi laid the groundwork for Miranda v. In what ways does a fictional account of courtroom drama differ from a more historical account? In the Scottsboro trial though, two women were supposedly raped. The verdicts of these two trials, Powell v.
Scottsboro Boys and To Kill a Mockingbird: Two Trials for the Classroom
Harper Lee used lots of her family names for names for people for To Kill A Mockingbird. Things that led up to the trials were all of these young men and women were on a train to hitch a ride. L to R Arianna Gayle Stucki Mayella Ewell , Richard Thomas Atticus Finch , Stephen Elrod Bailiff , Richard Poe Judge Taylor , Greg Wood Mr. They therefore find him guilty even though Atticus Finch makes it obvious that Tom was physically incapable of committing the crime. Humans are born to compete and be in complete control over situations.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Historical Context Essay: The âScottsboro Boysâ Trials
Which tells a better story? Like the trials, the novel illustrates a time in the American South when Jim Crow was the law of the land, racial segregation was entrenched, and mob rule could chew up and spit out the individual. Unfortunately, the fight for equality and freedom did not end with the revolutionary war. There is a summation by Samuel Leibowtiz for the defense in the Scottsboro trial 1933. Parallels can be made between the fictional trial of Tom Robinson and the historical Scottsboro Boys case trials, which Harper Lee drew upon as inspiration for the novel. These results shocked readers and reminded many of the Scottsboro trials and how unfair they were. This story is outrageous and I hope it gives people a huge lesson to learn so we can make this world a better place. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses racism in the trial scene to show that some people are treated unjustly due to their status.
Cite specific examples in each case. Overall these innocent men deserved more than what they recieved, an unfair treatment in and out of the courtroom. Teachers may ask students to deliver their completed statements to the class. Be sure to have them include evidence from they have collected from primary and secondary passages and the novel in their answers. Download and print out documents you will use and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing. People use it to boost their self-esteem to make them feel better about themselves. Harper Lee grew up and still sometimes resides in a small Alabama town in the southern part of the state, Monroeville.
Many of these issues were fought in the courtroom. This Academy Award-winning film, based on the novel by Harper Lee, both shaped and was shaped by society. Using Inform students these details are small parts of a larger picture. The boys were arrested and transported to Scottsboro, Alabama where they were charged with rape, a capital offense. Lee does not exaggerate the racism in her account.
An example being when Tom Robinson who is a innocent black man who is being accused of assault against Mayella Ewell. Lesson Two also requires students to study select court transcripts and other primary source material from the second Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933, a continuation of the first trial in which two young white women wrongfully accused nine African-American youths of rape. This whole trial shows that the word of white woman, went against the word of black men. As the novel's title itself implies a deep meaning, the mockingbird is a powerful symbol that echoes a strong message to the society, and thus holds a great significance in its metaphorical interpretation. Write a paragraph about the arguments. The second story was a documentary called Scottsboro: An American Tragedy about nine men accused the same crime.
