Background Flashcards
What was a main reason for the USA civil war?
The North wanted to abolish slavery but the south wanted to keep it
How was slavery abolished in 1865?
The North overwhelmed the south
When did the ku klux klan form?
In the 1860’s
What trial is tkamb allegedly based on?
The scottsboro trials
When were the scottsboro trials?
1931
Where were the scottsboro trials?
Alabama
What were the scottsboro boys accused of?
The 9 black scottsboro boys were accused of raping 2 whites women
What happened at the scottsboro trials?
The 9 black men were found guilty despite the medical evidence that the 2 women were not raped
What was the final outcome for the scottsboro boys?
All of the men, except the youngest, were sentenced to death. Some of them served prison time but almost all of them were freed
When did harper lee write tkamb? What was happening at the time?
She wrote tkamb in the late 1950’s during the civil rights movement
Why did lee write tkamb?
To show that racism is unfair
Why did profits suffer after the abolition of slavery?
People had to employ paid staff instead of having their unpaid slaves for free labour
When did the American stock market collapse?
1929
What were the consequences of the Wall Street crash?
Thousands of people lost their jobs and couldn’t make enough money to earn a living
Why were the southern states hit the hardest by the Wall Street crash?
Crop prices fell and the southern economy was still recovering from the civil war that they lost and the abolition of slavery
When was the Great Depression?
1929-late 1930’s
Why were African Americans easy targets to blame for the poverty of the Great Depression?
A lot of farm land owners blamed the end of slavery for loss of profits and their poverty
Why were black people still treated badly after the abolition of slavery?
The idea that black people were inferior had spread and was the norm
What does it mean when scouts cousin, Ike Finch, is described as the county’s only surviving confederate veteran?
The war between the northern and southern states is still remembered by some
What does the actions of the mob outside the county jail suggest?
That the motives of the KKK of violence to black people was still a very real threat
When did the number of members in the kkk decline?
In the 1930’s
How is the finch family history linked to the history of the South?
Their ancestor, Simon Finch, had three slaves and they started their family business of cotton farming
What was the major crop in the South?
Cotton
Why is it significant that there are a lot of references to the history of the southern USA in tkamb?
It means that people’s views will be difficult to change because the past is still really important to them
When does scout tell us the finch family are southerners?
On the first page
Why is it significant that the town is described in detail and the characters are familiar townspeople?
Lee wants maycomb to be recognisable to show that racism can happen in any southern American town
Why is it significant that the prejudiced characters have good qualities too?
To show how even the likeable people in towns often have prejudices and that, for many people, racism was a part of life
Why is it significant that nothing ever changes in maycomb?
To show that the town is stuck in its ways and it will take ages to change people’s attitudes
Why should you mention the importance of the novels historical context in the exam?
Because the events of the 19th century have a big influence on the issue of race that the novel is based upon
When was Franklin Roosevelt elected president?
1932
What did Roosevelt introduce in order to help America recover from the Wall Street crash?
His new deal
What were the aims of the new deal?
- relief: giving people financial help
- recovery: rebuilding USA industry and trade
- reform: changing conditions to ensure progress
What is atticus referring to when he says times are hard for people?
Poverty caused by the depression
Why did many black people agree with atticus?
Because he sympathises with black people and roots for them as he disagrees with the racism
Why is the use of atticus’ dramatic irony when he says that white people are “going to pay the bill” for their treatment of black people, significant?
When people were reading the book, the civil rights movement was in full swing so the reader knows that atticus is correct
What is dramatic irony?
When the reader realises the significance of what a character says or does before the other characters
Who were Thomas shipp and abram smith?
2 young black men who were lynched in 1930 for being accused of rape and murder, even though they were never tried. They were killed by a lynch mob
When was the abolition of slavery in USA?
1865
