The term refers to a pivotal and controversial case in United States history involving Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian immigrant anarchists who were convicted of murdering two men during an armed robbery at a shoe factory in South Braintree, Massachusetts in 1920. The trial and subsequent appeals became a cause clbre, highlighting issues of nativism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and the fairness of the American justice system. The “definition” encompasses not just the bare facts of the crime but also the larger social, political, and legal context that shaped the case and its aftermath.
The significance of understanding the case stems from its reflection of deep-seated biases within American society during the Red Scare, a period of intense anti-communist and anti-radical hysteria. The perceived radical political beliefs of the accused, coupled with their Italian ethnicity, heavily influenced public opinion and, many believe, the judicial process. This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential for prejudice to undermine the principles of due process and equal justice under law. The historical context further reveals the anxieties surrounding immigration and the perceived threat of foreign ideologies to American values.
