History

Scottsboro Trials Historical Content

Mariah Nunes

The Scottsboro Trials took place in the 1930’s during the Great Depression, in Northern Alabama. This was a time and area of great racial discrimination. Due to the economic state of the country, it was not uncommon for people to hitch rides on trains, traveling from town to town in search of jobs. Olen Montgomery, Clarence Norris, Haywood Patterson, Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Charles Weems, Eugene Williams, Andy Wright, and Roy Wright were doing just that.While the nine boys ranging in ages from twelve to twenty were aboard a train a fight between black and white youth broke out. Being outnumbered, the white boys reported that the black boys had assaulted two white women on the train. The women who were poor and white, also looking for work, immediately played along and reported that the boys beat and raped them. Following the arrests, “There followed a series of sensational trials condemning the other men solely on the testimony of the older woman, a known prostitute, who was attempting to avoid prosecution under the Mann Act, prohibiting taking a minor across state lines for immoral purposes, like prostitution” (Historical Background). At this time, when work was scarce, prostitution was a way women could earn money. In this case, the older woman was facing prosecution of the Mann Act, an act enabled in 1910, which prosecuted those who took women and children across state lines for consensual sex (Mann Act).

The dissent between whites and blacks in this time period made these trials extremely public and widely talked about. The trials were very complicated seeing as the first juries consisted of only whites and the U.S. Supreme Court had to overturn the first guilty verdict. Many historical events took place after the convictions of these nine boys. Anger broke out across the United States and many other parts of the world. People believed that these were racially motivated arrests. In demonstration of their support, “In 110 American cities, 300,000 black and white workers gathered to protest the convictions on May 1. On May 5 in Washington, D.C., some 200,000 supporters demanded freedom for the Scottsboro Boys” (Scottsboro Trial- History of the Scottsboro Boys). These events were able to unite blacks and whites in the search for justice. However, after the convictions of all nine boys to endure the death penalty, dissent in America worsened. These events preceded the civil rights era, and may be the spark for a change in the history of America.


 * Works Cited**

Lee, Harper, Claudia Johnson, Joanne Gabbin, and Catherine Turner. "Historical Background." Think Quest. Web. 25 Aug. 2011.

//Mann Act//. 2011. Web. 26 Aug. 2011.

"Scottsboro Trial- History of the Scottsboro Boys." 2011. Web. 25 Aug. 2011.