America’s criminals mainly arise from pure desperation to provide for others or to survive. These criminals become some of the worst, notorious criminals known to the nation. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, America’s sweethearts, had been affected by many factors leading to their crime spree. The America that Bonnie and Clyde were born into crafted them into the notorious criminals they became, changing the America in which they would die.
“Poverty… and crime go together. That is the truth” (Green 16). Bonnie and Clyde were both born into poor families. They lived their lives during the Great Depression. “It was during the Great Depression that Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went on their two-year crime spree (1932-1934)” (Rosenberg 1). Bonnie and Clyde were both desperate for money, and had no limits to which they would achieve it. Poverty was a cause of their criminal actions. “Poverty obviously doesn’t excuse crime, but it does just as obviously breed it” (Green 19). They were willing to rob banks, kill, and commit grand theft auto just to get money. They were desperate and needed to support their life, but were both unemployed.
Bonnie and Clyde wanted to make sure to leave behind a legacy that America could notice. “The general attitude in the country was against government and Bonnie and Clyde used that to their advantage. With and image closer to Robin Hood rather than mass murderers, Bonnie and Clyde captured the imagination of the nation” (Rosenberg 1). “Several bank robbers during this period became famous as Robin Hood figures who struck back against the banks, which many people viewed as oppressive” (Jenkins 1). Bonnie and Clyde were trying to come off as ‘not so’ bad guys. They knew they were against the law, but ...
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...d Clyde, capturing the hearts of America, even though they were evil, changed America. They will be truly remembered forever” (Meyer 8). Many things affected the life of Bonnie and Clyde causing them to become criminals. They entered an America which was poverty struck. Plenty of people had less hope than they had money. Bonnie and Clyde began their spree to steal money from the banks. Not only did they succeed for a while with this, but they left a life-long legacy behind. When America was at its worst, Bonnie and Clyde came along and added fear to the peoples’ lives as well. “Nobody imagined it to get any worse than that. No money, no hope, no faith. All of it was gone. The addition of fear was sometimes too much for people to handle. As if they didn’t have enough already” (Baker 1). The notorious killers have left their mark in history, to be remembered forever.
The similarities in the lives of this father and son are uncanny. I will look at the murders committed by both Butch and Willie. They both committed two murders. I will look at the correlation between the two men and the murders they committed. I will touch on their lives and their treatment at home. In addition, how that eventually affected them and the eventual murders they both committed. Their mother has sent them both away. They were both sent to the same juvenile detention centers at different times. This affected both men differently. The psychologists gave them the same diagnosis at different times, but no one realized this at the time. It is astonishing that there was no connection made between the two men. There was bound to be tragedy in their lives given the history in this family. Butch and Willie both committed heinous crimes, but for different reasons. I will look at why I think they killed and what sentences I believe they should have gotten for killing.
Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker burst upon the American Southwest in the Great Depression year of 1932. At the time of Clyde’s first involvement with a murder, people paid little attention to the event. He was just another violent hoodlum in a nation with a growing list of brutal criminals, which included Al Capone, John Dillenger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barker Gang. Not until Bonnie and Clyde joined forces did the public become intrigued. The phrase “Bonnie and Clyde'; took on an electrifying and exotic meaning that has abated little in the past sixty years.
Another common theme of this wildly intoxicated era was that of the gangsters. In the twenty-first century when the word gangster is uttered, often times images of minorities in baggy clothes comes to mind. However, when discussing the Prohibition Era the lives of gangsters are seen as much more glamorous, and none were more glamorous than that of the ultimate American gangster, Al “Scarface” Capone. Capone’s name brings to mind images of pinstripe suits, underground bars, bootleggers, flappers, and gun fights. His image embodies that of the Prohibition Era and his influence throughout society carries through it. Alphonse Capone is the ultimate American gangster.
During the Great Depression, times were hard. People were living in constant poverty not knowing if they would live or die. People in the country were against the government and Bonnie and Clyde used that to their advantage. With their image being that of Robin Hood instead of mass murderers, Bonnie and Clyde captured the imagination of the nation (20th Century History.) Clyde’s first robbery during the Great Depression was at a hardware store and Bonnie was with him. Although she had stayed in the car during the robbery she was still caught and put in a Kaufman, Texas jail. Later she was released for lack of evidence (20th Century History.) People believed Bonnie and Clyde were above t...
The case of Sacco and Vanzetti represented a deep division in American society. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants who came to American in 1908. In 1920, Sacco was working in a shoe factory and Vanzetti was selling fish on the streets. On April 15, 1920 a double murder and robbery took place at the Slater and Morrill shoe factory where Sacco worked. Three weeks later, the two men were arrested for these murders and the robbery. They were put on trial one year later and found guilty of all charges. Sacco and Vanzetti were executed for their alleged crimes. Many experts today and back then agree that the prosecution did not present the two men to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There were many conflicting factors during the trial. Sacco and Vanzetti were avowed anarchists, people who believed in the absence of government. Their radical ideas were considered unacceptable in a society that was at the time experiencing a deep hatred of non-democratic ideas. Their political beliefs and ethnic backgrounds worked to their disadvantage. The judge presiding over the case of Sacco and Vanzetti made clear hi...
Poverty has a direct effect on crime. The two topics can be associated in several ways beginning with the frame of mind individuals
When a child is growing up he is frequently asked what he is going to do for money when he gets older. The more this question is asked to them, the more they feel like they have to have money to be happy in life. After many tries of trying to make a stable life at a low paying job, a criminal life maybe more appealing to them at they may start living life under the gun. As stated by William Wilson in When Work Disappears, “Neighborhoods plagued by high levels of joblessness are more likely to experience low levels of social organization, they go hand in hand.” In Chicago for instance, in 1990 there was only one in three in the twelve ghetto communities that had held a job in a typical workweek of the year. When there are high rates of joblessness bigger problems surface such as violent crime, gang violence, and drug trafficking. (Wilson P356-362)
The notorious killers, such as, Albert Fish and John Wayne Gacy, Jr. both came from broken homes. “Fish was five years old when his father died, and his mother placed him in an orphanage while she worked to support herself. Records also describe young Fish as a problem child who ‘ran away every Saturday,’ persistently wetting the bed until his 11th year” (Newton 76-77). In his case it was undoubtedly noticeable that there was an issue, yet his caretakers were not mindful of these issues. However, not all cases are the same. For example, Gacy’s father, John Gacy, Sr.,...
These degenerates played an important role in American history, they were more than just bank-robbers and gunslingers, and they were men that affected all facets of society. They were celebrities, some of the most recognized men in America. Their evil deeds made the front page of every newspaper. They were some of the richest men in America, but most of all; they were the scapegoats for America's problems. They were hated by many, respected by few and feared by all.
On August 23, 1927, Nicola Sacco and Barolomeo Vanzetti were executed in one of the most controversial legal cases in American history. Two men were shot and robbed in Braintree, MA, and two poor Italian immigrants were arrested for the crime. Although neither Sacco nor Vanzetti had criminal records, they both had pistols on them at the time, and followed a violent anarchist leader. Following their arrest, the seven-year case on the crime would drive national and international protests demanding their exoneration. There were numerous elements in the trial that influenced the guilty verdicts for the men including, but not limited to, weak evidence. The Sacco Vanzetti trial displays the social injustices and prejudice in American society during the time. It is evident that even though they are innocent, the court used Sacco and Vanzetti as scapegoats in this crime because of their beliefs and background.
Bonnie Parker grew up with a normal childhood went to school every day was an above average student. She was born in Rowena Texas on October 10, 1910. Her father Charles Parker was a brick layer, but he died when bonnie was only four. After her father’s death the family moved in with her grandparents by Dallas Texas. She met Roy Thornton and soon after they got married, but Thornton got in trouble with the law and sentenced to five years in prison leaving bonnie on her own. She had a waitress job but was unhappy after Roy left. Until went to visit a friend in West Dallas where she then met Clyde Barrow. Clyde was born March 24, 1909 in Telico Texas. Clyde Barrow’s father was Henry Barrow who was a share cropper. He was one of eight children in the family. Clyde’s academics was anything but consistent. When his father quit farming the family moved to West Dallas which was were his dad opened a service shop. Clyde started high school but that was short lived he dropped out of school. Bonnie and Clyde met in West Dallas at a mutual friend’s house .Bonnie’s life prior to their crime spree was completely normal for a teenage high school student job at a café, showing no signs of becoming a notorious robber. Clyde on the other hand was the complete opposite. After dropping out of high school he went out with his brother selling stole...
Poverty has a direct effect on crime. You can associate the two topics in several ways beginning with the frame of mind individuals have. Those who are impoverished, often come from single
When one thinks of the United States of America, they probably consider our history, our culture, our media, our impressive cities and the extremely wide variety of beautiful wildernesses that we are lucky enough to still enjoy. We are lucky enough to have a melting pot of cultures in this country, and many different kinds of people. However, when thinking of an original, all-American figure, cowboys come to mind for many people. Our history and the settlement of the U.S. was unlike any other country, and the development of the country in the more western states came with the unique and fascinating time period referred to now as “The Old West”. The Old West was a crucial time in American history, and though it was a simpler time it also came with its share of excitement. Some of the most memorable details about the Old West were the characters that came with it, and some extremely interesting ones were the least conforming- the outlaws. Jesse Woodson James was one of the most notorious outlaws in American history. His name would go down in history as one belonging to a tough as nails and fearless bank robber who led a group of outlaws across the mid-west robbing banks and trains, and even murdering people. When we look at the big picture of what the U.S. has become today, The Old West certainly has had a large impact on our culture, and Jesse James certainly had a large impact on the Old West. Though most would argue that he was not a decent or moral person, one cannot argue that he was still a very interesting and unique icon of the west. So how did Jesse Woodson James change and leave his mark on the United St...
Robbery rates have always fluctuated depending on many outside factors. Currently, we are experiencing a trend of decreasing robbery rates. The academics are intrigued and eager to see why this phenomenon is happening. This paper will examine and summarize the current state of academic literature on the relationship between poverty and robbery.
In the United States there are specific areas that have been overwhelmed by the infestation of crime and violence and it appears to be at its peak in areas where poverty is high. Therefore, in this essay I will examine the connection between poverty and crime and attempt to prove relationships of the two. The link between poverty and crime is not a new discussion. In fact it has been an extremely controversial subject among many over the years. There have been arguments made stating that poverty does not have a direct link to crime based on countries that have very high poverty, however ...