The Sacco-Vanzetti Trial

What was the Sacco-Vanzetti case?

The Sacco-Vanzetti case was a famous controversy in 1920s America that highlighted the institutional racism that existed in the justice system of the time.

What crime was committed in the Sacco-Vanzetti case?

In Massachusetts in April 1920, two Italians committed an armed robbery in a shoe factory. They stole over $15,000, shot two people and escaped.

Who were Sacco and Vanzetti?

Sacco and Vanzetti were the two men who were arrested and charged with the armed robbery in Massachusetts.

• ❖ Nicola Sacco was an Italian shoe factory worker.
• ❖ Bartolomeo Vanzetti was an Italian fish salesman.

Why were Sacco and Vanzetti arrested?

Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested in May 1920.

• ❖ They tried to run from police and were armed with guns when they were arrested.
• ❖ Both men were found to be anarchists.
• ❖ Sacco and Vanzetti believed they had been arrested because of the Red Scare.
• ❖ They lied to police about their whereabouts, alibis and beliefs after their arrest.

What was the evidence against Sacco and Vanzetti?

There were several pieces of evidence used to prosecute Sacco and Vanzetti in their trial, that were seen to prove their guilt.

• ❖ The bullet fired in the robbery could have been from Sacco's gun.
• ❖ Vanzetti had a previous conviction for armed robbery.
• ❖ Both men were anarchists and had avoided military service.
• ❖ There were 61 eye-witnesses who put them at the scene of the crime.

What was the evidence for Sacco and Vanzetti?

There several pieces of evidence used at the Sacco-Vanzetti Trial that suggested they were innocent.

• ❖ 107 eye-witnesses said that they had been elsewhere at the time of the crime.
• ❖ Character witnesses testified that the men had a good reputation.
• ❖ The gun was tampered with in a later trial.

What happened at the Sacco-Vanzetti trial?

It took a year to bring the case to trial, and many people weren't prepared to be jurors. However, a verdict was reached in less than 24 hours.

What was the verdict in the Sacco-Vanzetti trial?

Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty on 14th July 1921, and sentenced to death. They were eventually executed in 1927.

Why was the verdict in the Sacco-Vanzetti trial seen as unfair?

The Sacco and Vanzetti verdict was seen as unfair for several reasons.

• ❖ The judge in the trial, Judge Thayer, was a well-known anti-anarchist.
• ❖ Many Americans were anti-anarchist and anti-immigration. This meant that the jury was likely to be biased against them.
• ❖ The evidence wasn't conclusive.

What were the results of the Sacco-Vanzetti trial?

The Sacco-Vanzetti trial had far-reaching results.

• ❖ Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in 1927.
• ❖ There were protests in 60 countries around the world against the sentence.
• ❖ In 1921 a mail-bomb was sent to the American Embassy in Paris in protest.
• ❖ The Sacco-Vanzetti Defence Committee raised over $300,000 to help them.
• ❖ A 'Sacco and Vanzetti Memorial Day' was introduced in Massachusetts in 1977, and a proclamation declared that their trial had not been fair.
• ❖ The controversy over their guilt or innocence continues to this day.