To Kill a MockingbirdI. History and cultural of the deep South in 1930s America

1. Difficult racial climate, especially in South.

A. Plessy vs. Ferguson- Separate but equal

B. Jim Crow laws- separatebathrooms, education, entertainment for blacks and whites.

C. Lynching and mob violence

To Kill a Mockingbird2. Voting rights discrimination

1. Higher standards2. Registered last3. No assistance on form4. Separate registration offices

To Kill a Mockingbird3. Jim Crow Laws

A. Who was Jim Crow?

- Minstrel character created by white actor in 1820s that became derogatory term.- wore blackface, sang and danced

B. Enforced from 1890s through 1960s

C. Affected: education, entertainment, freedom of speech, heath care,

housing, libraries, marriage, services, transportation and work.

D. It kept African Americans “in their place” and gave blacks little recourse attacked by whites.

E. It kept most blacks well under the poverty level and caused great anxiety.

To Kill a Mockingbird4. Brown vs. Board of EdA. Occurred in 1954

B. “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”

C. Led to desegregation of schools and was a step towards equal rights for minorities.

D. The book was written in 1960, the right time for a book about civil rights.

To Kill a MockingbirdII. Background on the Book

1. What is a mockingbird anyway?

A. A small, fragile songbird that sings a beautiful song.

B. It’s the state bird of Texas, Florida, and Tennessee

C. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

To Kill a Mockingbird2. Where does the story take place?

A. The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. - A small, sleepy town where people move slowly. - Often sweltering outside.

- Lee grew up in Monroeville, Alabama, a small town much like Maycomb.

3. When does the story take place?A. The story begins in the summer of 1933 and ends in 1935.B. The stock market crash of 1929 led to the Great Depression. No money. No jobs. C. America recovers in the 40s when we get in WWII. D. FDR used New Deal to help America recover, of which

the Works Progress Administration was a part.

To Kill a Mockingbird4. What is the WPA and what does it have to do with

the book?A. The Works Progress Administration was part of the New Deal.B. Employed millions to carry out public works projects. It was the largest employer in America at the time.

` C. Ended in 1943 with wartime employment.

D. Built roads, buildings, dams, etc.

To Kill a MockingbirdE. Interesting note: Public Works of Art project artist Diego Rivera created a giant fresco painting in Detroit at the Institute of Art (see below)