1. Harper Lee
Her Life & Work

2. Harper Lee’s Early Life
Born April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama
Daughter of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch
Father practiced law and served the Alabama State legislature until 1938
Got her degree and moved to New York at 23, in 1949, to pursue dream of becoming a writer

3. Influences in her Writing
To Kill a Mockingbird, her only novel, was published in awarded Pulitzer in 1961
Atticus, like her father, is a lawyer who defends a black client
Finch, her mother's surname, is the family name in the novel
Dill, Scout's neighbor and best friend, is based off of Truman Capote, Lee's best friend from childhood, and colleague in life
Boo Radley, the novel's famous recluse, was also based off of a neighborhood character
The trial of Tom Robinson, who Atticus defends, bears a strong resemblance to the case of The Scottsboro Boys

4. The Scottsboro Boys
Although Lee's father defended a black client, the trial in TKAM also strongly resembles the case of "The Scottsboro Boys“
Alabama, black boys are accused of raping 2 white women on a train
"The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The case included a frameup, an all-white jury, rushed trials, an attempted lynching, an angry mob, and is an example of an overall miscarriage of justice." (

5. Time of Publication
Rosa Parks incites the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Civil Rights Act of 1957, primarily a voting rights bill, becomes the first civil rights legislation enacted by Congress since Reconstruction
Little Rock, Arkansas school desegregation
Greensboro sit-ins, sparked by four African American college students refusing to move from a segregated lunch counter, spurs similar actions and increases sentiment in the Civil Rights Movement.
TKAM was published in 1960

6. Why is the timeline important?
Given the historical events of the period, what could have inspired Lee to write her novel when she did?

7. Connections to this year’s texts
What potential similarities do you see between this novel and others that we have read this year? What recurring themes have you noticed so far? How will the history of the United States play into the novel? In what ways will this novel be different from others that we have read this year?