Sacco-Vanzetti case

Sacco-Vanzetti case, famous legal battle (1920–21) that polarized opinion between U.S. liberal-radicals and conservatives. In 1921, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were found guilty of murdering a paymaster and his guard in South Braintree, Mass. When arrested, they were armed and gave false statements, many say out of fear of deportation due to their alien status. By 1927, opponents of the verdict claimed that there had been insufficient evidence, and that the trial had been unduly influenced by the fact that Sacco and Vanzetti were aliens, anarchists, and draft evaders. The supreme court of Massachusetts and the governor ruled that the trial was fair. The 2 were executed on Aug. 22, 1927, preceded by demonstrations around the world. Public debate continued for years.

See also: Anarchism.