Call to Order

Call to Order
In a court case, what should a jury use in order to
decide if someone is innocent or guilty? (Not just
evidence! Think of different kinds of evidence as
well as what type of thinking they should use.)
Explain.
 Re-Cap: Sacco and
Vanzetti Case
This took place during
1920-1927 in Braintree,
Massachusetts

The two were arrested

and put on trial for a
murder and robbery of a
shoe factory guard and
paymaster.

The evidence in the case

was shaky to begin
with…
Background of Sacco and
Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian
immigrants who were accused of
murder and robbery in Braintree on
April 15th 1920.

During the trial, it came out that

politically, they did not believe in
government; they were anarchists.

The two men were thought not to get

a fair trial because they were
immigrants who couldn’t speak very
much English…
 Climate in the United States:
1920s
After World War I, many
Americans became distrusting
of immigrants and fearful of
communism

This was because a Communist

revolution took place in
Russia, and many feared that
the US alliance with Russia
would lead to a communist
revolt in America as well.

Many people associated

immigrants with communism.
The Red Scare
This deals with America’s fear of
communists.

Began in 1919-1920 and there were

increasing concerns about
Communists, also known as Reds.

Communists- believe that there

should be no such thing as private
property; everyone should be equal,
and there will be no private wealth.

Officials were also concerned about

anarchists- people who wanted to
get rid of all forms of government.
 Communism Explained:
Americans were fearful of communism
because it threatened personal wealth.

Under communism, all people, no

matter rich or poor, upper or lower
class, would be equal.

The reason for this fear was because a

Communist society had begun in
Russia, and people in the United
States, especially those who were poor,
thought Communism was a good idea.

Changes needed to be made in

American society, and some believed
that Communism was the way to go.
Xenophobia
Many Americans associated
communism with foreigners, and
this led to xenophobia: the fear and
hatred of foreigners.

Americans began to round up

“suspected” radicals– meaning
communists and anarchists– and put
them in jail without real evidence;
this was most seen during the
Palmer Raids.

Xenophobia was also said to have

greatly influenced the trial of Italian
immigrants: Sacco & Vanzetti.
 Treatment of Immigrants
During the 1920s
Foreigners and radicals
(communists and anarchists were
targets of violence and oppression
during the years following World
War I.

This was because America was still

trying to recover from the war, and
blamed these groups for many of
their problems.

Immigrants and others were often

denied their Constitutional Rights,
like right to a fair trial by jury. This
was the case with Sacco and
Vanzetti…
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Are there any reasonable alternatives

Could these alternatives have just as easily happened

Were these alternatives addressed sufficiently by

prosecution

You CANNOT really come up with any other

reasonable scenario.
The Verdict: Guilty
Sacco and Vanzetti were found
guilty of murder and robbery and
executed on August 23, 1927.

Thousands protested the verdict,

which led to the creation of the
American Civil Liberties Union.

Massachusetts governor Alvan T.

Fuller refused to overturn the
verdict, and the men were executed
by electric chair.

In 1977, Governor Michael Dukakis

of Massachusetts issued a
proclamation stating that the men
had been unjustly treated.
 Honors Class
How did the red scare impact the ability for the
United States justice system to operate fairly in the
early 1900s?
 Synthesis Questions
Did the Red Scare have an impact on the outcome of
the Sacco and Vanzetti case?

How did the Red Scare impact Sacco and Vanzetti’s

case?
 Assessment
Create an Editorial (view point) for Sacco and
Vanzetti that summarizes the verdict of the trial.
Explain why and how America’s feeling toward
immigrants influenced the verdict of the trial, as well
as the impact that the red scare had on the case they
were involved in.
Three key pieces of evidence that supports your
viewpoint.
Three paragraphs: Introduction, Body and Conclusion.