The Scottsboro Trial: Injustice Of The 1930's

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In 1931 on a train towards Alabama, nine black men had been taken to jail after an accusation of a false crime. The Scottsboro boys were nine black boys falsely accused of raping two white women, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. The case gained the attention of many people, and it had taken many years for it to be resolved. The Scottsboro case is considered a huge injustice of the 1930’s that has even made an effect in 2013.
On March 25, 1931, on a train coming from Chattanooga, Tennessee, a group of black and white boys had gotten into a fight. During the time, riding freight trains was a common thing if not illegal. The fight ended easily though with the white teens being outnumbered and either jumping or being thrown from the train. (Scottsboro Trial- History of the Scottsboro Boys) Two girls, Ruby Bates and Victoria Price had been watching though, and to avoid arrest, they had accused the black boys of raping them. When they had gotten off the train later that day, police had been waiting and had taken them into custody. Haywood Bough of Richmond Virginia had once stated “When I was a young man they had a law that they called Reckless Eyeballing. If they saw you looking at a white women they would arrest you for reckless eyeballing.” They had been sent to a jail in Scottsboro Alabama which had given the case the name
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During the time, crowds had gathered around the jail, throwing rocks and making threats. Doctors had also done examinations on Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, disproving their accusation.(Aretha pg 17) The First trial still took place on March 31st, 1931. All defendants had pleaded not guilty during the trial and the trial had ended with all defendants except for the youngest, Eugene Williams, being sentenced to death. (Scottsboro Trial- History of the Scottsboro Boys) The court had later ruled that the defendants had not been well represented and the case was appealed.

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