Fear. Racism. Prejudice. Differences. These things have too often obscured the judgment of people, causing them to overlook what is fair or right. Examples of this can be seen many times throughout history, with a clear one being the trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti that occurred during the 1920s. America in the 1920s saw vast change and economic growth, yet still faced domestic turmoil. Due to the rise of communism in countries such as Russia, Bavaria and Hungary, a violent wave of anti-communist panic, known as the Red Scare, swept through the United States in the early 1920s. During the Red Scare, many Americans feared that communism would spread to this country and began to resent immigrants for their differences. The Palmer raids, which occurred in November and December of 1919, further demonstrated this fear with the arrests of over 4,000 people, many of who were citizens, because of suspicion that they were radicals. This fear of communism and immigrants contributed to the mistreatment in the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. …show more content…
Sacco was a shoemaker and Vanzetti was a fish peddler. These men were also radicals and anarchists, meaning they advocated for political and social reform and opposed governments. On September 11, 1920, Sacco and Vanzetti were indicted for the murder of a paymaster and a guard at Slater-Morrill Shoe Company factory. In the following July they were found guilty even though there was little criminal evidence and the trial was heavily biased. For example, Judge Webster Thayer condemned the men many times for their Italian background and political beliefs, even calling Sacco and Vanzetti “dagos”. After 6 years of legal appeals, including a review of the case by a committee, Sacco and Vanzetti were sentenced to death, and were electrocuted on August 23,