Scottsboro Boys

The beginning

Mar 25, 1931

The boys stop train in Paint Rock, Alabama. Boys are arrested on assault charges. Rape charges are also made against all of them by Victoria Price and Ruby Bates.

Almost lynched

Mar 26, 1931

Scottsboro boys are almost lynched by a large crowd at the scottscoro jail

"Rapists"

Mar 30, 1931

Grand jury indicts the nine Scottsboro boys for rape

The Trials Begin

Apr 6, 1931

Trials begin in Scottboro before Judge A. E. Hawkins.

The lies of rape

Jan 5, 1932

Ruby Bates send a letter to Earl Streetman in which she denies she was raped.

Eletric chair

Apr 9, 1933

Haywood Patterson found guilty by jury and sentenced to death in the electric chair.

Convicted of rape

Jan 23, 1936

Haywood Patterson is accused of rape for the fourth time and he is centenced to 75 years in jail

Released

Jul 24, 1937

Roy Wright, Eugene Williams, Olen Montgomery and Willie Roberson were released from jail because all the charges were dropped against them .

Still pretty bad

Jul 5, 1938

Instead of his death penalty it is reduced to life in prison for Clarence Norris

The boys get interveiwed

Oct 1, 1938

Governor Graves interviews Scottsboro boys.

Haywood Patterson escapes from prison

Jul 1, 1948

The man accused of rape for the fourth time, Haywood Patterson escapes from prison.

Haywood charged with murder

Dec 1, 1950

Mr. Haywood is part of a barroom fight resulting in a death of and other man Haywood is charged with murder

Patterson dies

Sep 1, 1951

Patterson is charged with manslaughter and sentenced to 6 to 15 years. He dies of cancer less than a year late

Clarence dies

Jan 23, 1989

Clarence Norris, the last surviving Scottsboro boy, dies at age 76.

Pardoning the Boys

Apr 19, 2013

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley pardons all nine Scottsboro Boys.