What Are The Similarities Between The Scottsboro Boys And The Crucible

Comparison between The Scottsboro Trials and The Crucible “The last Scottsboro Boy is released from prison 45 years after the wrongful conviction” (Scottsboro Boys). In 1931, nine young, black men were on a train, yet at the same time, two women, who were dressed like men on the train, claimed the nine black men had raped both women. All nine men were tried, with eight receiving the death sentence, and the youngest receiving life in prison. There are striking similarities between the Scottsboro Boys and The Crucible, including how there was no evidence produced at either trial, the consequences given to the innocent were unreasonable, and the unfair justice used in both trials involving race and social class. Both in the Scottsboro Boys

This is similar to the Scottsboro Case because the boys ended up in prison because two young women accused them with no evidence. Another case of no evidence being used to convict is illustrated by the author, “Trying to avoid arrest, two women on the train falsely accused nine black youths of raping them. It was an inflammatory allegation in the Jim-Crow South, where many whites were attempting to preserve supremacy just 66 years after the end of the civil war” (Scottsboro Boys’). Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, the two accusers, knew accusing nine black youths of rape would be explosive in Alabama because of white supremacy, so no evidence would be found or discovered to prove the case false. Like the Scottsboro Boys case, The Crucible shows how Abagail knew accusing someone of witchcraft would be unheard of in the 1800s, New England. Abagail knew if she accused someone, they would get a trial, but the judge would be biased because of the

The defendants had no chance of clearing their name because of the unfair court system. An author from a Scottsboro museum explains, “After the U.S. Supreme Court overrode the lower courts verdict in 1932 on grounds of inadequate counsel. Circuit Judge James E. Horton was appointed to preside… Horton maintained he has no regrets” (Scottsboro Boys’). In the Scottsboro case, injustice was served due to the men’s race and social class. The Supreme Court saw the injustice too, so they appointed a new, trust-worthy judge who would give adequate sentences if the charges were real. In The Crucible, a string of accusations is placed to form many trials and convictions. Because of the accusations, judges would be biased and sentence the defendant to harsh punishments with no evidence. Another example of injustice in the Scottsboro case is explained by Kindig, “ The case went to the United States Supreme Court in 1937, and the lives of the nine were saved, though it was twenty years before the last defendant was freed from prison” (Scottsboro Boys). Justice was given though the boys were released decades later. The last example of injustice is written by Wormser, “The all-white jury convicted the nine, and all but the youngest, who was 12 years old, were sentenced to death” (Scottsboro case). Having an all-white jury is not a jury of your peers; this jury was mad at