The Sacco-Vanzetti Case

Introduction  

The Sacco-Vanzetti case, which began with a payroll robbery and double murder in 1920 and ended in 1927 with the executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti amid a storm of international protest, raises questions about the United States’ image of itself which are at least as vital today as they were almost one hundred years ago.  Unlike the Lizzie Borden (Google her if you don’t know about this case!) affair, it was not the uniqueness and enormity of the crime but the character of the defendants which brought this case to national and eventually worldwide attention.

Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants, confessed anarchists, and suspected Communists.  They were tried during a period when America’s fear of radicalism was at a fever pitch, in a state, Massachusetts, which many considered one of the most reactionary in the nation.  In the years between their conviction and execution they came to be viewed as innocent martyrs by the American liberal-intellectual community and a cause celebre by leftists in Europe, Africa and South America. 

Were Sacco and Vanzetti innocent or guilty of the crimes of which they were convicted?  Did they receive a fair trial, or were the judge and jury prejudiced against them because of their admitted leftist leanings?  Is there any meaningful connection between these first two questions, or is it sometimes possible for a guilty man to receive an unfair trial?

 Was the Morelli gang responsible for the crimes, as the liberal-intellectuals insisted?  To what extent did the American public’s fear of left-wing terrorism influence the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and its aftermath?  Was it possible for members of a minority to receive a fair trial in the United States of nearly one hundred years ago?  Is it possible today?

What parallels can you draw between the Sacco-Vanzetti case and recent trials?  How objective was the view of the Sacco-Vanzetti case taken by American liberals at the time and since?  How objective is the view expressed by either the extreme left or the extreme right on such more recent trials as those of Angela Davis, the Berrigan brothers, William Calley or most recently, the Newburgh Four?

In a celebrated trial, does the public tend to draw conclusions about the guilt or innocence of a defendant on the basis of political considerations rather than a knowledge of the evidence?  To what extent is the public informed on the evidence?  To what extent does the public need, or want, to be informed?  Were Sacco and Vanzetti ultimately more important as individual men or as political symbols?  Have recent defendants been more important as individuals or as political symbols? 

Keep these questions in mind when reading the articles posted for this assignment, and when choosing what topic you want to write about.

REQUIRED READINGS (Journal Entries required for each one.)

1. “The Sacco-Vanzetti Case” by Mark Winston (Canvas Post)

2.  “The Sacco and Vanzetti Case” editors: Baughman, et. Al. (Canvas Post)

3. “Were Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti treated Fairly by the American Justice System?” by Judith Barrett (Canvas Post)

4. “Sacco-Vanzetti Case” editors:  Gottesman and Brown (Canvas Post)

5. Video (Embedded in Canvas)

5. Additional Research Required:  3-5 additional sources, which DO NOT require journal entries because they must be used and cited with MLA8 form, in our final draft, TOTAL REQUIRED JOURNAL ENTRIES FOR MA#1 = 5

TOPICS DIRECTIONS:  Pick ONE topic from this list for your research and writing.

1. Did Sacco and Vanzetti get a fair trial? Consider the public’s fear of left-wing terrorists; of Italian immigrants, of Communism—also consider the public nature of the trial.   Was it even possible for them to have received a fair trial in the atmosphere of the day?

2. Were Sacco and Vanzetti guilty or innocent?

3. Was the Morelli gang responsible for the crimes that Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted of?

4. Compare this case to one of the other cases in the “Introduction” —Angela Davis, the Berrigan Brothers, William Calley, the Newburgh Four—how do their trials compare?  What similarities do you see?  Were political considerations influential in their outcomes?

5. Compare this case to the social/political climate we are currently experiencing in the US and around the world.  What are the most striking similarities you see, and what may be the consequences of such a social and political climate today?

Assignment/Manuscript Requirements:

• Length:  a general guideline for length is 4-7 typed pages.  This is a guideline.  I don’t count words and you shouldn’t either.  If the paper is too short it is too short because you haven’t made a sufficient argument.  If it’s too long then it has irrelevant material.  But I don’t think any of these topics can be adequately covered in less than 4 typed pages.
• In-Text Citations:  You must document source information throughout the text of your essay and then use MLA citations. (consult a style manual or go to mla.com) You must have in-text citations in your argument—to demonstrate your ability.
• Works Cited and Consulted Lists:  Required in MLA format. (consult a style manual or use a bibliography tool such as easybib.com or some other generator)
• Double space
• Font:  New Times Roman or Garamond, size 12
• Standard margins
• Pages numbered