Were Sacco and Vanzetti guilty?

Learning objective – to be able to assess the impact of the Red Scare and decide how much of it was justified. I can describe some for the reasons why Sacco and Vanzetti case happened . Grade D I can explain the causes and impact of the Sacco and Vanzetti case. Grade B I can explain and assess whether Sacco and Vanzetti were guilty of the crime they were charged with. Grade A

Starter – what three words would you use to describe the people in the photograph?

What was the ‘Red Scare’? America feared the spread of Communism. They saw what had happened in Russia and feared that it could happen in America – especially as 1.5 million Russians had settled in America since 1900. This spreading fear was called the ‘Red Scare’. This fear of Communism spread further with the bombing of the house of the Attorney-General, Alexander Palmer, by a Communist suicide bomber which was followed by an unidentified bomber who killed 30 people in New York in 1920.

What was the government’s reaction to the ‘Red Scare’? After the bombing of his House, Attorney-General Palmer ordered a series of police raids on known socialists and communists. Most of those arrested were foreign born immigrants. This added fuel to the desire to limit immigration even further.

Why were anarchists feared in 1920s America? Anarchists are people who believe that countries should not have governments with set laws and rules. People should have the power to rule themselves. Americans felt that immigrants brought anarchist feelings with them to America. They had good rights to fear anarchism as an anarchist assassinated President William McKinley in 1901.

The crime In 1920. a shoe factory in Massachusetts was robbed. The robbers stole $15,000 and shot dead two people.

Who were Sacco and Vanzetti? Nick Sacco and Bart Vanzetti were arrested and charged for the crime a month later. They were in possession of fire arms. Sacco and Vanzetti were poorly educated, Italian immigrants. They were known anarchists and spoke poor English. They had both avoided military service during the First World War.

What happened at Sacco and Vanzetti’s trial? The trial began in May 1921 and lasted 45 days. The trial was a farce as both sides tampered with evidence and the judge openly racially abused Sacco and Vanzetti. Despite flimsy evidence and protesting their innocence, Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty and sentenced to death.

What was the reaction to the Sacco and Vanzetti’s verdict? Whipped up by the Red Scare and demanding a scapegoat for the bombings in New York, many Americans agreed with the verdict. The reaction abroad was different and there was an international campaign to fight for Sacco and Vanzetti’s release.

What happened to Sacco and Vanzetti? Despite the flimsy evidence, the international reaction and confession from the potential murderer, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in the electric chair in 1927.

Tasks Summarise the ‘Red Scare’ in twenty words. This photograph was taken in 1923. What does it tell you about the public reaction to the Sacco and Vanzetti case?

Tasks Design two briefs for a cartoonist who draws cartoons for an American newspaper. The briefs must be along the following lines – Supporting the guilty verdicts of Sacco and Vanzetti. Supporting the public reaction against the Sacco and Vanzetti verdicts.

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