The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti: Justice Denied?

On April 15, 1920, at the height of the patriotic fervor and antiforeign feeling that followed World War I,
a paymaster and a guard at a shoe factory in South Braintree, Massachusetts, were murdered in the
course of an armed robbery. Two naturalized Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco, a shoemaker, and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, a fish peddler, were charged with the crime, tried, convicted, and sentenced to
death. They were atheists, draft dodgers, and anarchists, and as such, lawyer Felix Frankfurter remarked, threatened what the judge and the jury held most dear: “God, country, and property.” The trial evoked a
storm of protest. After six years of appeals that attracted worldwide liberal support, the two men were still
in prison, awaiting execution. The following selection is Vanzetti's last statement, made on April 9, 1927, to
the court that examined the evidence and conduct of the trial and, on July 27, sustained the verdict. Sacco
and Vanzetti were executed on August 23, but doubt about their guilt continues to this day.

Source:Vanzetti, Bartholomeo. "Last Statement of Bartolomeo Vanzetti, 1929." Last Statement of Bartolomeo Vanzetti, 1929. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.

Who were Nicola Sacco and Bartolomelo Vanzetti?
Go to --> Sacco and Vanzetti Exhibit Supreme Judicial Court
Outstanding site covering all aspects of the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. Also offers links to newspaper coverage, trial transcripts, photographs, and art work, literature and music prompted by the case.
http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/sacco-vanzetti.html

Sacco and Vanzetti. Produced by Curtis Fox, 1998. Part of a radio series, The Past Present: History for Public Radio. Distributed for broadcast to public radio stations in January, 1999. Excellent coverage of the people, the place, and history. Video and audio presentations both offered. http://www.albany.edu/jmmh/vol2no1/saccovanzetti.html

Bartolomeo Vanzetti Nicola Sacco

This photo was taken on March 9, 1923, at the Dedham Courthouse.
Courtesy Virtual Tour - The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti: Justice on Trial
http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/sacco-vanzetti-2.html

Read more information about the documentary

What is anarchy and who is Luigi Galleani?

Anarchism

"Even in societies with a state, anarchist groups provide a voice for the oppressed."

This House Believes that Anarchism is a Valuable Political Ideology
The International Debate Education Association invites you to attend a debate about anarchism. You decide if anarchism is a valuable political ideology that can be supported both in theory and in practice. There are extensive arguments for both the pro and con sides of the debate. Is it possible to have a classless society without laws and taxes? Find out if violence has to be a part of anarchy. A resource list suggests additional web sites and books.
Topic: Anarchism Language: English Lexile: 1510 http://idebate.org

Decades in America: The Twenties in America

Anarchy Archives
Claremont College is home to a web site called the Anarchy Archives. Use the menu of the left side of the page to explore anarchism. There is a list of people who are important to the history of anarchism. For each person you will find biographical information, commentary and graphics. You can also access pamphlets and periodicals. Use the history section to explore worldwide anarchy movements, art and anarchy and much more. A timeline is included.
Topic: Anarchism Language: English http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu

Sacco and Vanzetti
This digital textbook chapter tells you about the Sacco and Vanzetti case that took place during the 1920s. An overview of their case tells you about the crime they were accused of committing and the controversy that surrounded the case. The chapter includes information related to the Red Scare, Sacco and Vanzetti's backgrounds, and the timing of Sacco and Vanzetti's arrest in relation to the deportation of foreign radicals. The effect of the executions of these men and the overall case is described and you will also discover what historians believe about Sacco and Vanzetti's involvement in the crime.
Topic: Sacco-Vanzetti Trial, Dedham, Mass., 1921 Language: English Lexile: 1210 http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu

Apr 15, 1920: The Sacco-Vanzetti Case Draws National Attention
The crime that took place on April 15, 1920, resulted in the murder of two men, and led to the Sacco Vanzetti trial is described in a This Day in History feature. It explains how Sacco and Vanzetti became suspects, describes their political background, and tells you how these men received support from around the world. Details related to the trial focus on ballistics evidence and its role in the conviction. Current ballistics reports are revealed as well.
Topic: Sacco-Vanzetti Trial, Dedham, Mass., 1921 Language: English Lexile: 1230 http://www.history.com

The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti 1921
An Account of the Sacco-Vanzetti Case is a collection of documents and materials related to the trial of Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco. The collection includes a chronology, related maps, an overview of the Red Scare, and biographies of all the trial participants. There is a summary of the evidence and responses that is presented in an easy-to-read chart, the statements from both Sacco and Vanzetti at the sentencing, and many Appellate Court and clemency decisions. You also have the opportunity to read some of the letters Sacco and Vanzetti wrote from prison and view a collection of related images.
Topic: Sacco-Vanzetti Trial, Dedham, Mass., 1921 Language: English Lexile: 920 http://law2.umkc.edu

About the Sacco-Vanzettti Case
The lives and trials of Nicola Sacco and Batolomeo Vanzetti are presented in great detail beginning with some background information on their Italian upbringing prior to 1908 when the men immigrated to the United States. This account of the events that surrounded the murders for which the men were executed includes information related to Sacco's job and family life while living in the United States as well as his involvement in anarchism with Vanzetti. You will learn how police were led to these men, what took place during the trials, and the impact of their executions on history.
Topic: Sacco-Vanzetti Trial, Dedham, Mass., 1921 Lexile: 1480 Encyclopedia http://www.english.illinois.edu

Sacco and Vanzetti

March 1927 Atlantic Magazine The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti by Felix Frankfurter

"In 1921, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, both Italian-Americans, were convicted of robbery and murder. Although the arguments brought against them were mostly disproven in court, the fact that the two men were known radicals (and that their trial took place during the height of the Red Scare) prejudiced the judge and jury against them. On April 9, 1927, Sacco and Vanzetti's final appeal was rejected, and the two were sentenced to death. Felix Frankfurter, then a professor at Harvard Law School, was considered to be the most prominent and respectable critic of the trial. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939."
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1927/03/the-case-of-sacco-and-vanzetti/6625/

Encyclopædia Britannica* and Annals of American History*
...wealth of information and user-friendly.

Massachusetts History Online* Sacco and Vanzetti
...full-text articles from 50 magazines and local newspapers for coverage of Massachusetts people, places and historical events.

U.S. History Collection* and U.S. History in Context*
...most significant people, events and topics in U.S. History.

World History Collection* and World History in Context*
...most significant people, events and topics in World History.

* Denotes resource funded by the Massachusetts Library System.

Courtesy of Sacco and Vanzetti: Justice on Trial Exhibit
Supreme Judicial Court

Sacco and Vanzetti Put to Death Early This Morning
"Sacco and Vanzetti Put to Death Early This Morning." The New York Times on the Web Learning Network.
New York Times Company, 2010. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.

In the NHS Library:

American Decades. 1920-1929 edited by Baughman
Call #: REF 973.92 AME

The Letters of Sacco and Vanzetti by Sacco
Call #: 364.152 SAC

The Sacco and Vanzetti case : a brief history with documents by Topp
Call #: 345.73 TOP

The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti by Barter
Call #: 345.73 BAR

True Crime, Massachusetts : the state's most notorious criminal cases by Ethier
Call #: 364.1 ETH