Historical and Background Information To Kill a Mockingbird Historical and Background Information

Harper Lee Born Nelle Harper Lee on 28th April 1926 in Monroeville Alabama. Her father was a lawyer. She studied law at the University of Alabama 1945-49, but left before finishing to pursue a literacy career.

Harper Lee In 1957 she submitted the manuscript of her novel but she was told that it consisted of a series of short stories strung together, and she was urged to rewrite it. For the next two and a half years she reworked the manuscript and in 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird was published. The novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Despite the success of the novel Lee never published any more books.

The Great Depression A worldwide economic downturn starting in America with a major stock market crash on 29th October 1929 which became known as Black Tuesday. Many shares suddenly became worthless and poverty swept the country. The public lost confidence in the economy and spending levels decreased. This resulted in drastically falling production levels and drastically rising unemployment.

Alabama

Alabama in the 1930s By the early 20th century, every southern state had passed laws that created two separate societies; one black, the other white. Blacks and whites could not use the same waiting rooms and blacks were barred from many hospitals.

Slavery and Racism In the early 20th Century tens of thousands of convicts, mostly black men, were caught up in a racist justice system. Until nearly 1930, Alabama was providing convicts to businesses, who would work in the fields and mines. Nearly two decades after slavery was abolished in America, men were dying as slaves in a prison work scheme that benefited southern states and businesses.

Civil Rights Movement To Kill a Mockingbird was written in 1960 at the beginning of the black Civil Rights Movement. Although it was almost 100 years since slavery was abolished in America black people were still being treated as second class citizens. Blacks, who had fought for their country during the Second World War, were starting to demand more civil rights, such as their right to vote. The black Civil Rights Movement took on new strength and Alabama was an important centre in this movement.

Themes Prejudice Racism Loneliness Courage Innocence Growing Up Coexistence of Good and Evil Gaining Understanding Importance of Moral Education