Scottsboro Boys Timeline

The Train Ride

Mar 25, 1931

Nine African American teenagers hopped on a train that was headed to Memphis. Then a white passenger stepped on one of their hands and a fight started and the African Americans won. Someone called the police and once they got off the train two women named ruby Bates and Victora price accused them of rape. The boys were sent to the Scottsboro jail.
Scottsboro Boys - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.
Scottboro Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.

Time line

Period: Mar 25, 1931 to Jan 23, 1989

Lynched

Mar 26, 1931

A crowd of several hundred men, hoping for a good old-fashioned lynching, surrounded the Scottsboro jail the night of their arrest for rape. Their plans were foiled, however, when Alabama's governor, B. M. Miller, ordered the National Guard to to protect the suspects.

Trials begin

Apr 6, 1931

Trials start in Scottboro before Judge A. E. Hawkins. Eight of the boys are sencented to death. The trial of Roy Wright ends in a mistrial, jurors hold out for a death sentence even though the prosecution asked for life imprisonment.
Google Image Result for. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Executions

Jul 19, 1931

On the date first set for their executions, the Scottsboro boys listen to the execution of Willie Stokes, he is the first of ten boys to be executed. After hearing the reports of the execution, many of the boys said they hard time sleeping and they had nightmares

NAACP and ILD want to repersent the boys

Dec 1, 1931

Shocked by the speedy trials, the young age of the defendants, and the severity of the sentences, the NAACP and International Labor Defense (ILD) want the right to represent the Scottsboro boys.
PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Ruby Bates's Letter

Jan 5, 1932

A letter to Earl Streetman she denies that the Boys ever touched her and that she lied about being raped.
PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.
Google Image Result for. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Ruby Bates isn't Honest in Court

Apr 6, 1933

Ruby Bates appears as an witness for the defense. She denyed that any rape occurred and testifying that she was with Victoria Price for the whole train ride. Her and Price were with boyfriends the night before explains the presence of semen in their vaginas. On the stand, Dr. Bridges admits that Victoria Price showed few physical signs of having been forcibly raped by six men, as she claimed. But Dr. Bridges refuses to say
how old the semen could have been.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Haywood Pattterson sentenced to death in Electric Chair

Apr 9, 1933

Haywood Patterson, one of the nine Scottsboro boys, is sentenced to death by the electric chair after his second trial.
Electric Chair - Google Search.
N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Haywood patterson and Clarence Norris sentenced to death

Dec 4, 1934

Haywood patterson and Clarence Norris are yet again tried for rape and are sentenced to death.
The Scottsboro Boys Trials: A Chronology. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

U.S, Surpreme Court decision

Apr 1, 1935

April 1, 1935 The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the imprisonment of Norris and Patterson. Then they came up with, Norris v Alabama.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
Norris v Alabama - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Haywood patterson convicted for fourth time

Jan 23, 1936

Haywood Patterson is convicted for rape for the fourth time, and is sentenced to 75 years in prison.
Haywood Patterson - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.
Scottboro Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.

The convictions begin again

Jul 1, 1937

Andy Wright is sentenced to 99 years in prison, Charlie Weems is sentenced to 75 years. Clarence Norris is sentenced to death. However, all of the charges were dropped on Roy Wright, Eugine Williams, Olen Montgomery, and Willie Roberson.
Google Image Result for. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.
Scottboro Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.

Chargers are Dropped

Jul 24, 1937

Rape charges are dropped against the last four defendants, Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright.
Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Governor Graves Interview

Oct 20, 1938

Governor Graves interviews the Scottsboro Boys. After this interview, The boys who had charges dropped were put on parole.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.

The Last Scottsboro Boys

Jan 23, 1989

Clarence Norris, the last surviving of the boys, dies at 76 years old.
Clarence Norris - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.