Fight Against Two Nations

Sacco and Vanzetti caused a whirlwind of chaos across America. In chapter eleven, the thesis can be derived from the prejudice seen in the courtroom of the Sacco and Vanzetti case. Their cultural background caused them to be degraded by the jurors, and unfortunately, the judge. Both Italian born men were being forced to fight for their lives against a trial at a time where Nativism was a strongly controversial idea. White supremacy was on the mind of many males during this era of the roaring 20’s. Many judges and lawyers reviewed this case and it was clear that the juror Ripley’s quote, “Damn them, they ought to hang anyway,” was the mindset of many during this case trial. As many prominent men during this time strayed away from the principles of the founding fathers in 1776, the fight over the matter of guilty or innocent for Sacco and Vanzetti flourished into something much more. It became a fight between two nations; the arrayed immigrants, workers, and the poor being represented by the Sacco and Vanzetti versus the “men of Norfolk,” or rather, the men having a similar outlook to Thayer.


It is my opinion that many that the men were clearly innocent, and that the Supreme Court should have taken notice of the pulsating prejudice values seen throughout this trial. After Celestino E. Medeiros sent in that letter to Sacco, and much investigation took place, it was obvious that the Morelli gang should have been considered as suspects. However, Thayer’s hate for these two men was a wonder to me. Where did his strong hate for these men come from? Even after the defense made a prevailing case on the Morelli gang, Thayer still refused to even consider the thought. Also, an initial thought that came to mind after reading the first few pages was what happened to Boda? Why was he not more involved in this trial? Thankfully for this case, many protocols and orders must be followed now before evidence and witnesses can become support for a case.

This case became much more than innocent versus guilty, but rather an issue on the principles our founding fathers created in 1776. Riots and tears broke out after it was announced that the “good shoemaker and the poor fish peddler” were dead. This exemplifies just how much more this case called for. The unjust and unfair ways of the lawyers, judges, and leaders in this case will always be remembered.