10 Questions
Match the following terms with their definitions:
Alleged = Said to have happened but not yet proven Condemn = To express complete disapproval of something Blatant = Very obvious and offensive Competent = Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully
Match the following legal terms with their meanings in the Scottsboro Boys case:
Fourteenth Amendment = Guarantees equal protection under the law to all people Civil rights movement = Movement advocating for equal rights and treatment regardless of race Jim Crow laws = Laws promoting racial segregation in southern states Posthumous pardons = Pardons granted after a person's death
Match the following actions with their outcomes in the Scottsboro Boys case:
Alabama Supreme Court upheld convictions = Original convictions were upheld U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Powell v. Alabama = Determined lack of competent legal counsel violating Fourteenth Amendment rights Retrial process was slow and contentious = Despite overwhelming evidence of innocence, retrial faced challenges Accuser Ruby Bates letter surfaced = Strong evidence supporting innocence emerged
What was the outcome of the trial for the Scottsboro Boys?
Death penalty for eight boys, with one boy spared
How did the community react to the alleged crime in the text?
A mob gathered outside the jail where the boys were held
What does the scheduling of the executions in mid-July signify in the text?
A rushed legal process
Why did an all-white jury recommend the death penalty for most of the Scottsboro Boys?
Reflecting racial bias and unfair treatment
What role did racial inequality play in the trial of the Scottsboro Boys?
It led to biased judgments and unfair treatment
How did the media contribute to shaping public opinion about the Scottsboro Boys' case?
By sensationalizing and spreading misinformation
In what way did the accusations against the Scottsboro Boys reflect flaws in the criminal justice system?
By highlighting racial biases and unfairness
Study Notes
The Scottsboro Incident
- In 1931, nine African American teenagers were falsely accused of raping two white women on a train in Alabama.
- The incident sparked widespread outrage and highlighted racial injustice in the US.
The Trial and Sentences
- The boys were put on trial in Scottsboro, with an all-white jury that quickly recommended the death penalty for eight of them.
- The judge scheduled the executions for mid-July, the earliest the law would allow.
Appeals and Investigations
- The Communist Party USA got involved, launching detailed investigations into the rape accusations and convincing the boys' parents to request new trials.
- The legal proceedings continued for several years, with the boys' sentences eventually being reduced from the death penalty to decades in jail.
Release and Pardons
- By 1938, five of the Scottsboro Boys remained in Alabama prisons, but eventually made it out of the prison system, usually by receiving parole.
- Haywood Patterson escaped in 1948.
- In 2013, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles granted posthumous pardons to three of the Scottsboro Boys who never had their convictions overturned.
Racial Injustice and Reform
- The Scottsboro incident highlighted the need for racial justice in the US, particularly in the criminal justice system.
- The case led to changes in jury selection processes and further attention to racial inequality in America.
- The Scottsboro Boys became symbols of racial inequality and the need for change.
Learn about the racially skewed jury selection process and legal proceedings in the Scottsboro Boys case that continued for several years. Discover how the sentences of the young men involved were reduced over time, leading to their eventual release from prison.
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