Sacco and Vanzetti Case: A Brief History with Documents

In 1920 Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants and devout anarchists, were accused of robbery and murder. Their subsequent trial and execution captivated the world and exposed many of the cultural and political tensions of 1920s America. Sacco and Vanzetti’s supporters claimed the two anarchists had been persecuted for their beliefs and not their actions, while their detractors saw proof of the country’s ability to protect itself from dangerous foreign elements. Michael Topp’s unique collection of documents examines both sides and provides a clear presentation of the trial while emphasizing the broad historical context in which it was conducted. An interpretive introductory essay, document headnotes, a chronology, and questions for consideration provide further pedagogical support. A bibliographic essay and a brief discussion of artistic productions based on the trial are also included.

MICHAEL M. TOPP is an associate professor of history at the University of Texas, El Paso, where he has taught since 1993. A specialist in immigrant and working-class history, he is the author of Those Without a Country: The Political Culture of Italian American Syndicalists (2001). He has written numerous essays on such subjects as the Italian American Left, masculinity and nationalism, immigrant historiography andits relevance to the study of the border, and racial and ethnic identity in the United States. He is currently working on a history of cultural identity and mental illness in the United States.