The Sacco & Vanzetti Trial

1. The Sacco
&
Vanzetti Trial
MAST High School
US History – Period 4
Ms. Richardson

2. Terms to Know
Nativism - the policy of protecting the
interests of native-born or established
inhabitants against those of immigrants.
Xenophobia – a fear of immigrants

3. Terms to Know
• Communism – Economic system of equal
redistribution. (No private ownership)
• Capitalism - an economic/political in
which a country's trade and industry are
controlled by private owners for profit.
• Anarchy - absence of government and
absolute freedom of the individual.

4. What was the result of the new
immigration laws of the 1920s?

5. Nativism in the 1920s
New immigration laws set quotas (targets or
limits) on the number of immigrants allowed in
the U.S.
People from Southern and Eastern Europe were
especially kept out.
A main reason for these quotas was a fear of
communism and anarchism.

6. • First Red Scare (1918-1921) - a
nationwide fear of communists, socialists,
anarchists, and other dissidents.
• Palmer Raids – the government hunted
down arrested or deported suspected
communist, socialist and anarchist.

7. Other signs of nativism in the
1920s
The Sacco and Vanzetti Trial
 Two Italian anarchists were arrested in 1920 for
robbery and murder.
 The evidence was weak but they were convicted and
executed.
 Caused an uproar in the U.S. – many said the trial was
unfair because the judge disliked immigrants.

8. R.A.F.T
• Role of the Writer: Yourself
• Audience: Mayor Bradford (Massachusetts)
• Format: Formal letter
• Topic: How nativism influenced the decision in
the Sacco & Vanzetti trial

9. SAMPLE
August 14, 1921
Dear Mayor Bradford ,
The recent verdict in the Sacco
and Vanzetti trial causes me great
concern. I, like many Americans, do not
believe these men were given a fair trial.
Instead, their death sentence is largely
due to the corruption and bias of the
justice system against immigrants,
communist, anarchist and other groups

10. SAMPLE
August 14, 1921
Dear Mayor Bradford ,
The recent verdict in the Sacco
and Vanzetti trial causes me great
concern. I, like many Americans, do not
believe these men were given a fair trial.
Instead, their death sentence is largely
due to the corruption and bias of the
justice system against immigrants,
communist, anarchist and other groups