Module 5: Sacco and Vanzetti 

Sacco and Vanzetti

The Sacco and Vanzetti trial, which took place in the late 1920s, became one of the most controversial legal cases in American history. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were two Italian immigrants who were charged with the robbery and murder of a payroll clerk and a security guard in South Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1920. Both men were self-identified anarchists, advocating for the overthrow of the government and the end of capitalist systems. Their political beliefs, coupled with their immigrant status, made them targets of suspicion and prejudice. Despite the lack of concrete evidence linking them to the crime, Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted largely based on their political ideologies and ethnic backgrounds, which led to widespread accusations of injustice.

The trial was marred by significant bias and bigotry against immigrants, particularly those who were associated with radical political movements like anarchism and socialism. In the aftermath of World War I, a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment swept across the United States, partly fueled by the fear of Bolshevism and the rise of communism. The Red Scare of the 1920s stoked anxiety about the influence of immigrants, particularly those from Southern and Eastern Europe, and many Americans saw anarchists as a dangerous threat to the stability of the country. Sacco and Vanzetti, because of their foreign origins and radical politics, were viewed with suspicion and hostility, even though their defense team argued that the evidence against them was weak and circumstantial.

The case drew international attention and sparked protests around the world, with many intellectuals and activists arguing that Sacco and Vanzetti were victims of a biased justice system that was influenced by anti-immigrant sentiment and bigotry. Prominent figures such as Albert Einstein, H.G. Wells, and Ernest Hemingway spoke out in support of the men, highlighting the unfairness of the trial. Despite their protests, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed by electric chair in 1927. In the years following their deaths, many continued to question the fairness of their trial and conviction, and their case became emblematic of the dangers of racial and political prejudice within the legal system. Their trial remains a powerful symbol of the intersection of immigration, radical politics, and bigotry in early 20th-century America.