Birmingham Church Bombing Suspects Summary
By Amelia
The Bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963 not only significantly impacted the Civil Rights Movement but also the entire world. Three men in the Klu Klux Klan caused the event: Robert E. Chambliss, Thomas Blanton, and Bobby Frank Cherry. need to be known for what they did. Working together they made the bomb and put it in the church in BIrmingham Alabama where four fourteen year old girls died. What were these people like, and what led them to carry out such a horrible crime?
Robert E. Chambliss also known as "dynamite Bob" was a truck driving right hand man to Bull Connor the chief police man. Robert helped make the bomb. Chambliss had been in the Klu Klux Klan since he was 20 years old. He was in charge of placing the 19 sticks of dynamite on the steps leading to the basement. He was arrested then found not guilty after that they opened the case again and found that he was guilty he died in prison.
Thomas Blanton was a former Klu Klux Klan member with the nickname “pop” came back to make the bomb. Blanton’s car was found parked behind the church and that’s how they knew he was involved. He intended the bomb just to cause fear of more bombs but instead outraged the public and spread awareness. Thomas Blanton was sentenced to life in prison on May 2, 2001. He was also put in prison for having 122 sticks of dynamite without a permit.
Bobby Frank Cherry also known as “cherry bomb” was a Klu klux Klan member who was important in the bombing of Sixteenth Street. Like one of his partners Chambliss he was a former truck driver. He moved to Texas for a little while and found himself as a truck driver there. Cherry was also accused of the bombing of one of his 5 ex-wives. Cherry was the last man to be convicted on May 22, 2002.
Although all these suspects weren’t convicted until years after the bombing they were all arrested for the crime. The suspects all had pasts of being Klu Klux Klan members and they joining together to make and plant the bomb in the church killing four innocent girls. It was all for causing fear but it lead to much more than that. The men all found and thanks to them we have another event that played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement.
By Amelia
The Bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963 not only significantly impacted the Civil Rights Movement but also the entire world. Three men in the Klu Klux Klan caused the event: Robert E. Chambliss, Thomas Blanton, and Bobby Frank Cherry. need to be known for what they did. Working together they made the bomb and put it in the church in BIrmingham Alabama where four fourteen year old girls died. What were these people like, and what led them to carry out such a horrible crime?
Robert E. Chambliss also known as "dynamite Bob" was a truck driving right hand man to Bull Connor the chief police man. Robert helped make the bomb. Chambliss had been in the Klu Klux Klan since he was 20 years old. He was in charge of placing the 19 sticks of dynamite on the steps leading to the basement. He was arrested then found not guilty after that they opened the case again and found that he was guilty he died in prison.
Thomas Blanton was a former Klu Klux Klan member with the nickname “pop” came back to make the bomb. Blanton’s car was found parked behind the church and that’s how they knew he was involved. He intended the bomb just to cause fear of more bombs but instead outraged the public and spread awareness. Thomas Blanton was sentenced to life in prison on May 2, 2001. He was also put in prison for having 122 sticks of dynamite without a permit.
Bobby Frank Cherry also known as “cherry bomb” was a Klu klux Klan member who was important in the bombing of Sixteenth Street. Like one of his partners Chambliss he was a former truck driver. He moved to Texas for a little while and found himself as a truck driver there. Cherry was also accused of the bombing of one of his 5 ex-wives. Cherry was the last man to be convicted on May 22, 2002.
Although all these suspects weren’t convicted until years after the bombing they were all arrested for the crime. The suspects all had pasts of being Klu Klux Klan members and they joining together to make and plant the bomb in the church killing four innocent girls. It was all for causing fear but it lead to much more than that. The men all found and thanks to them we have another event that played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement.