The Murder Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti: Inciting Passions a Century Later

On April 15, 1920, a robbery and double murder in South Braintree, Massachusetts, led to the arrest of two Italian anarchists, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. They were tried and convicted at Dedham Superior Court in 1921. No one could have foreseen that this local criminal case would become an international affair. Arguably the most famous trial in the 20th century, this murder trial propelled two Italian immigrant anarchists into the international media spotlight. It divided a nation in the 1920’s, and has continued to arouse deep emotions, giving rise to enormous literature.

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