Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
The Scottsboro Boys
A museum blog examines the Scottsboro defendants and their place in art and civil-rights history.
1931–1935 · Scottsboro and Decatur, Alabama
The Scottsboro Nine
Disputed justice
Nine Black teenagers were accused of rape after a confrontation aboard a freight train in Alabama. Rushed trials, inadequate representation and racial exclusion from juries turned the prosecutions into a national struggle over justice. Supreme Court decisions arising from the cases addressed counsel and jury discrimination.
Content note
Source note: screen portrayals may condense events or use fictional characters. Books and films are identified separately; a companion book is not necessarily the film’s source.
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The Story
When1931–1935
WhereScottsboro and Decatur, Alabama
In this collection4 resources
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
1 itemsDan T. Carter
Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South
Historical study recommended in PBS’s reading guide. A companion resource to the documentary, not presented here as its sole source.
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Film / television guide
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)
Documentary film about the prosecutions and the nine young men. PBS provides the film page and transcript; streaming access may vary.
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
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Podcasts & Audio
Podcasts
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Social Media
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News & Reading
Free & Library Reading
1 sourcesExplore free articles, book previews and library options. The label on each item explains what you can access; a catalog entry does not mean the whole book is free.
Smithsonian Magazine · Free Article
Who Were the Scottsboro Nine?
An article providing additional historical reporting and context for this story.
Read Article ↗Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-15. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine. Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
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Newspaper clippings
0 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
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Internet Archive
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
No accessible court document has been verified for this case yet.
New material will appear here after editorial review.EXPLORE THE CASE
Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Scottsboro and Decatur, Alabama. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Scottsboro and Decatur, Alabama
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
This case was added after the September 14 map-source review and has not yet been checked against those sources.
The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
Constitutional ruling · Supreme Court opinion
1935: Norris v. Alabama: racial exclusion from juries
The Supreme Court rejected systematic racial exclusion from jury lists in a case arising from the Scottsboro prosecutions. Justia reproduces the published opinion; it is not the full trial file.
Social Media
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