Biography Review – U.S. HistoryHugo Black: Cold War Warrior

Hugo Black has been called by scholars “One of a half dozen of the greatest Justices in the history of the U.S. supreme Court in terms of the influence he exerted on the shaping of our law.” Black, a member of the United States Supreme Court for thirty-four years, was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937, and resigned from the Supreme Court, in 1971. He was born on February 27, 1886 in Harlan, Alabama, a farm town consisting of all white citizens in the “Deep South”. His father owned a general store, and his mother was a postmistress. In 1889, he moved with his family to Ashland Alabama. In 1899, Black’s father William, died in Ashland. He knew little about his father’s life, but respected him a great deal even though he was an alcoholic who showed little love. Black did not feel the effects of his father’s death until later on in his life. In the 1960’s, he became involved in learning about his father’s ancestors, and began visiting many different small...