Scottsboro Boys In America In The 1930s

Alabama in the 1930s was a divided and opinionated place, toughened from the Great Depression, with ideals so rooted in the culture that stereotypes were held above all. The combination of gender and race were key factors in the initiation of the Scottsboro case, with the economy and culture of the times exacerbating it. The actions of Victoria Price and Ruby Bates during the Scottsboro incident were motivated by fear and perpetuated by gender and race. During the trials, the stereotypes commonly and solidly rooted in Alabama culture heavily influenced the jury. The Scottsboro trials reflected the economy and culture of the time, ultimately centering on the ideal of the southern white woman.
The economy and culture of Alabama in the 1930s fed directly into the initiation of the Scottsboro case. The Great Depression ravaged the state. The economy took many hits, from extremely low wages to massive unemployment that spanned across all races. Hobos frequented the railroads, and many people resorted to drastic efforts to stay alive. During these stressful times, the lines of racial boundaries began to blur, but the stereotypes were fueled in an intense way. Black men had stereotypically been thought to …show more content…
Gender and race were crucial pieces of the Scottsboro case, with the economy and culture of the times enhancing it. The actions of Victoria Price and Ruby Bates during the Scottsboro incident were motivated by fear and perpetuated by gender and race. During the trials, the stereotypes commonly and solidly rooted in Alabama culture swayed the jury, making them blind to evidence and the truth. The Scottsboro trials reflected the economy and culture of the time, ultimately centering on the ideal of the southern white woman. Victoria and Ruby were white women, and their false claims were enough to sentence nine black men to death multiple