In the early 1930s, a group of African American boys were accused of raping two women aboard a train in southern Alabama being called the “Scottsboro Boys.” The boys were not given a fair trial because of the racial injustice in the south during this time. The trial was even brought to the supreme court which would help overturn the verdicts in favor of the boys. This trial was extremely significant because it really brought to light the racial injustice and inequality present during this time, especially in the legal system, as well as being a kind of spark for the civil rights movement in America.
The story of the Scottsboro Boys begins on March 25, 1931, when nine young men were on a train in southern Alabama looking for a place to work.
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In the first trials, eight of the nine boys were sentenced to death when they were tried by a Jury that consisted of all white males. In an article written by PBS, it says, “Before Judge A. E. Hawkins, Clarence Norris, and Charlie Weems are tried, convicted, and sentenced to death” (PBS, Par. 4). This trial just includes two of the Scottsboro Boys; the rest of the eight men that were also sentenced to death were tried shortly after in similar courtroom conditions that consisted of an all-white male jury. The trials of the Scottsboro Boys had large effects everywhere in the United States sparking civil rights groups to start using the trails as a form of protest a couple of these groups include, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the International Labor Defense (I.L.D.) These groups did many things to help the young men like raising money to pay for their court fees and starting protests to help get the case out of Alabama and move it up into the supreme court. The groups were very successful because a few of the boys were able to appeal in front of the supreme court. In the same article written by the editors at PBS it says, “November 7: In Powell v. Alabama, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the defendants were denied the right to counsel, which violated their right to …show more content…
One of the men, Patterson escaped from prison and was found by the F.B.I. in 1948 and eventually died of cancer later in 1952 this is just the experience of one man but the events of the Scottsboro Boys as a whole were very important in fueling the civil rights movement which would lead to racial equality for all people. This was written about in an article on History.com where the editors say, “The trials of the Scottsboro Boys, the two Supreme Court verdicts they produced, and the international uproar over their treatment helped fuel the rise of the civil rights movement” (History.com, Par. 24). This great effect on the civil rights movement also helped shape the culture of the nation which can still be seen today. The tales of the Scottsboro Boys were also significant in many books and plays over the years which help display the importance of the event and what the boys truly experienced. The boys' trials were also briefly mentioned in the very famous piece of literature called To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee shortly after these events and many other similar events took place. In the same article by History.com, the editors also wrote, “Author Harper Lee reportedly drew on the boys’ experience when she wrote her classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, and over the years the case has inspired numerous other books, songs, feature films,
Scottsboro Boys Case The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 20, accused in Alabama of raping two White American women on a train in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The cases included a lynch mob before the suspects had been indicted, all-white juries, rushed trials, and disruptive mobs. It is commonly cited as an example of a miscarriage of justice in the United States legal system.
Scottsboro Trial Two young women is all it takes to create one of the most tragic epoch's of African-American history after the abolishment of slavery. When Victoria Price, and Ruby Bates decide to ride the rails to look for some incentive in their lives, they witness an opportunity to ruin nine young black boy's life. A fight broke out after a gang of white boys agitated, and tried to force a gang of black boys to jump off a train.
In this paper it will talk about how the girls were in this case. The scottsboro case was about a group of men that were accused for rapping two women on a train, in the 1930s. Tom Robinson’s case was about him rapping a white women. In the book to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee. To kill a mockingbird is about Atticus defending a man named Tom Robinson.
Scottsboro Boys court, is another example of this. The Westminster’s officer trial and the Bass Pro trial shows how equality has changed,and how it has
There have been many famous court trials throughout history. The Dred Scott v. Stanford Court Case of 1857, also known as the “Dred scott case”, was one of these historic court trials. This court case led to the United states supreme Court decision on the US labor law and constitutional law. It revolved around the matter of Negroes whose ancestors that were imported into the United States, and were put into slavery. The Supreme ruled that whether enslaved or free, Blacks could not be an American citizen, could not sue in federal court, and the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the federal territories acquired.
During the time, the Supreme Court had already dealt with several cases concerning the right to counsel. In Powell v. Alabama, taking place in 1932, which involved the “Scottsboro Boys,” nine black teenagers who had been found guilty of raping two white women, the court had ruled that indigent defendants charged with capital crimes were entitled to legal counsel. In Betts v. Brady, taking place in 1942, the court decided that assigned counsel was not required in felony cases except when there
Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, racism was still a huge part in our society and this is demonstrated through the Scottsboro Trial and the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The first place this is shown, was after everybody heard about the supposed rape of the white girls. There were protests and tons of people showing hate towards the black men. Another example of this, was all the assumptions white people made, that the only logical explanation for the incident was that the black men raped the white girls. This assumption was without listening to the evidence or facts proving the man's innocence during the trial.
Cases like these that were the court systems respected the rights of the people and ignored the color of the person on trial’s skin color. These racial court cases paved the way for maintaining a stable government of democracy that influenced the spread of democracy through the whole United States. Another way, democracy was promoted was Women’s rights have evolved to great extent in the last century due to the help of the U.S. government and women’s rights supporters. Everyone has the same
The group represented hope for colored people. A chance for a possible future where equal rights are distributed everywhere and racial segregation to be eradicated once and for all. Their attendance brought attention to racial segregation issues faced by colored people not just in schools but many public facilities and services. Many social protests like the freedom riders and the Montgomery bus boycott took place during that time period. They all fought for the civil rights movement.
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”, says Maya Angelou putting in the spotlight the judgment of people based on how they look. The cases of Dred Scott vs. Sanford, Plessy vs. Ferguson, and Loving vs. Virginia all attempt to prove this point during the civil rights movement. These cases also make apparent the segregation of blacks in the court system. In 1864, the question of having freedom was brought into the courtroom by Dred and Harriet Scott in St. Louis City. Dred and Harriet Scott had been held captive in free territory and then brought back to a slave state.
The Scottsboro Case: A landmark Case and Its Impact on Capital Punishment Cases America in the 1930s was a time of change. Racism was now being defended for in the court of law. One of the most remembered cases in 1931 occured on the railways, nine black men were falsely accused of raping two women riding the train. Why would nine black get the blame for the so-called “rape?” The Scottsboro Case was a landmark case in the state of Alabama that raised tensions about the issue of capital punishment.
The supreme court ruled that the racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. This was a huge milestone for segregation. After this case came Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. This case was really a big starting point and also led to the downfall of the Jim Crow Laws. In the first two cases Dred Scott vs. Sanford and Plessy vs. Ferguson, the outcome was not the greatest for African Americans.
When a case is with a black and a white the white always wins. Black men from the Scottsboro Trials in 1931-1948 were sent to prison and executed because they were accused of rape. “Eight of the nine men got executed and the ninth could not because he was to young” (The Scottsboro Trials, The First Trial).
The defendants had no chance of clearing their name because of the unfair court system. An author from a Scottsboro museum explains, “After the U.S. Supreme Court overrode the lower courts verdict in 1932 on grounds of inadequate counsel. Circuit Judge James E. Horton was appointed to preside… Horton maintained he has no regrets” (Scottsboro Boys’). In the Scottsboro case, injustice was served due to the men’s race and social class. The Supreme Court saw the injustice too, so they appointed a new, trust-worthy judge who would give adequate sentences if the charges were real.
Injustice The Scottsboro Case shed light on the racial practices expressed in law that made a great impact on the legal system today. The actual victims of the Case did not receive a fair trial due to the color of their skin. The ones who played the victims planned the crime, and their stories made no sense. But like many of the trials during the time it wasn’t based on the actual evidence that was found,or even the defendants ' stories.