Nelle Harper Lee—her life Born April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama Grew up and established a strong friendship with neighbor, Truman Capote Attended Huntingdon College (1944-45) Studied law at University of Alabama (1945-1949) Studied for one year at Oxford University

Nelle Harper Lee—her writing To Kill a Mockingbird is her only novel. Submitted TKAM in 1957; rejected Spent two and one-half years revising In 1960, TKAM published to widespread acclaim. Pulitzer Prize—1961 Movie version won four Academy Awards--1962

TKAM—the novel Written during the Civil Rights Movement African Americans were fighting for equal rights.

Major Civil Rights Events The Montgomery Bus Boycott (Rosa Parks): African Americans avoided mass transit for an entire year in protest of segregation.

Major Civil Rights Events The Little Rock/Central High School Crisis: The National Guard was called in to prevent African American students from enrolling in an all white high school.

Notable Civil Rights Activists Martin Luther King Malcolm X

TKAM--Setting While the novel was written in the late 1950s, it takes place in the 1930s when the segregation sentiment was high.

TKAM--Setting Historically, the novel takes place around the time of the Great Depression, The 1929 Stock Market Crash, and World War 1.

TKAM—Society at that time… A definite class structure existed Upper and middle class whites lived in nice neighborhoods. (The Finch family)