Honore de Balzac, a play writer and novelist, once verbalized, “Behind every great fortune there is a crime.” This adduce elucidates that the plethora of crimes exhausted, there is a reason, a drive. They can’t hold back on it; it fuels them and keeps them in the horrific state. Some of the hair-rising events that occurred in the 1930’s were caused by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK), Bonnie and Clyde, and Al Capone. All of these had criminal activity starting from burning houses to killing civilians. The KKK was a violent hate group that would bomb, start fires, and kill. Bonnie and Clyde were a couple who found a passion in robbing and killing, especially cops. Al Capone was a famous mobster who was a part of bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Because of this upheaval, the 1930’s had an uproar of criminal activity and racism.
To start off, the KKK was noted for their crimes and racism. According to Encyclopedia Britannica the first mass klan focused on the blacks, by the next peak in the 1920 they created bias against many other people and their religions. “added bias against Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners, and organized labour.” (Editor of the Encyclopedia of Britannica 1). The streets of the 1930’s were unsafe for societies that the klan disliked. The klan took power by making people fear them. They didn’t just show hostility facing these groups of people, they were violent towards them. There was no limit to the violence that the KKK exhibited. “There were numerous instances of bombings, whippings, and shootings in Southern communities”(Editor of the Encyclopedia of Britannica 1). All communities that the KKK were in contrast to were in deliberate danger. There was no way of knowing when and what could happen. And there was no way to prevent this as the klan contained everyday people: police officers, store workers, lawyers, farmers, etcetera. Not only would they kill and terrorize, but everything was corrupted for them like law, especially for blacks. Looking at the Scottsboro Trial (a case where two girls claimed they were raped by nine black boys) the law was completely depraved for them. It was a severe miscarriage of justice. They were wrongly accused, why? Because the boys were black. “there were no African Americans on the jury rolls.” (signature 1). The KKK exceed four million members, where an overabundance was found in Alabama; which is the state the trial took place. How was it fair that the jury was white and most were probably opposing blacks or part of the klan itself; hence, it concretes the idea that the KKK was well known for their crimes and racism.
Equally important, Bonnie and Clyde were notorious for their crimes. John Jenkin asserted, “Their crime spree occurred at the height of the Great Depression.” Bonnie and Clyde started their crime spree when most of the states were at rock bottom. The america population was unsympathetic to their government and used that emotion to their advantages. Their crime spree lasted twenty-one months. (Jenkins 1) Twenty-one months they inflicted terror to civilians. Everyone around was worried which bank or store was next. Bonnie and Clyde killed and kidnapped many cops during their spree. “Murdered two police officers... and five days later they killed a police constable.”(Jenkins 1) Bonnie and Clyde typically kidnapped and killed cops. They didn’t do it for any reason expect a thrill and fun. To sum up, Bonnie and Clyde were remarkable for their crimes.
Nevertheless, Al Capone was a considerable component of the crimes that took place. According to History.com editors he was part of a multi million dollar operation. Which was passed down to him. As noted this operation included bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. He used the prohibition as a way to make money. He used the pain of hundreds of people to better himself and his lifestyle. According to the Mob Museum, Al Capone was part of the Five Point gang before the operation. He was born and raised into the crime life, that was all he knew. He saw everything at a young age. The blood, robbing, the killing. All this crime caused him to be brutal towards people, mostly gangsters. “The most famous of these was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929..”(History.com editors) Al Capone would use his money and power to get to the top and be the most successful. Has he once declared, “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”
Overall, the 1930’s had an uprise in criminal activity and racism including the: Klu Klux Klan, Bonnie and Clyde, and Al Capone. The KKK was a white supremacist group that had a long history of violence; another group that had a long history of violence is Bonnie and Clyde, killing cops almost every few days. In addition, Al Capone was part of the crimes in the 1930’s participating in bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Ultimately the 1930’s poured with crime and racism.
To start off, the KKK was noted for their crimes and racism. According to Encyclopedia Britannica the first mass klan focused on the blacks, by the next peak in the 1920 they created bias against many other people and their religions. “added bias against Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners, and organized labour.” (Editor of the Encyclopedia of Britannica 1). The streets of the 1930’s were unsafe for societies that the klan disliked. The klan took power by making people fear them. They didn’t just show hostility facing these groups of people, they were violent towards them. There was no limit to the violence that the KKK exhibited. “There were numerous instances of bombings, whippings, and shootings in Southern communities”(Editor of the Encyclopedia of Britannica 1). All communities that the KKK were in contrast to were in deliberate danger. There was no way of knowing when and what could happen. And there was no way to prevent this as the klan contained everyday people: police officers, store workers, lawyers, farmers, etcetera. Not only would they kill and terrorize, but everything was corrupted for them like law, especially for blacks. Looking at the Scottsboro Trial (a case where two girls claimed they were raped by nine black boys) the law was completely depraved for them. It was a severe miscarriage of justice. They were wrongly accused, why? Because the boys were black. “there were no African Americans on the jury rolls.” (signature 1). The KKK exceed four million members, where an overabundance was found in Alabama; which is the state the trial took place. How was it fair that the jury was white and most were probably opposing blacks or part of the klan itself; hence, it concretes the idea that the KKK was well known for their crimes and racism.
Equally important, Bonnie and Clyde were notorious for their crimes. John Jenkin asserted, “Their crime spree occurred at the height of the Great Depression.” Bonnie and Clyde started their crime spree when most of the states were at rock bottom. The america population was unsympathetic to their government and used that emotion to their advantages. Their crime spree lasted twenty-one months. (Jenkins 1) Twenty-one months they inflicted terror to civilians. Everyone around was worried which bank or store was next. Bonnie and Clyde killed and kidnapped many cops during their spree. “Murdered two police officers... and five days later they killed a police constable.”(Jenkins 1) Bonnie and Clyde typically kidnapped and killed cops. They didn’t do it for any reason expect a thrill and fun. To sum up, Bonnie and Clyde were remarkable for their crimes.
Nevertheless, Al Capone was a considerable component of the crimes that took place. According to History.com editors he was part of a multi million dollar operation. Which was passed down to him. As noted this operation included bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. He used the prohibition as a way to make money. He used the pain of hundreds of people to better himself and his lifestyle. According to the Mob Museum, Al Capone was part of the Five Point gang before the operation. He was born and raised into the crime life, that was all he knew. He saw everything at a young age. The blood, robbing, the killing. All this crime caused him to be brutal towards people, mostly gangsters. “The most famous of these was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929..”(History.com editors) Al Capone would use his money and power to get to the top and be the most successful. Has he once declared, “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”
Overall, the 1930’s had an uprise in criminal activity and racism including the: Klu Klux Klan, Bonnie and Clyde, and Al Capone. The KKK was a white supremacist group that had a long history of violence; another group that had a long history of violence is Bonnie and Clyde, killing cops almost every few days. In addition, Al Capone was part of the crimes in the 1930’s participating in bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Ultimately the 1930’s poured with crime and racism.