In May 1921, two Italian immigrants, Niccola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were brought to trial for the murders of two employees of the Rice Hutchins Shoe Company during a robbery of the company's payroll in South Braintree, Massachusetts. Both Sacco and Vanzetti were dedicated anarchists at a time when the federal government had made a concerted effort to rid the country of "reds" of any type.

Despite numerous witnesses who testified to the defendants' having been miles away from the scene of the crime, the jury convicted the pair, a verdict that had been strongly implied in the charge it received from Judge Webster Thayer. For the next seven years, the case was appealed, first to Judge Thayer and later to the Massachusetts State and the U.S. Supreme Court. In the meantime the defendants had galvanized support throughout the nation and the world, but despite the efforts of a powerful legal team, the original decision was upheld and the date of execution set for August 22, 1927. Demonstrations involving thousands of people took place throughout the major cities of the world while the two immigrants were electrocuted.

Fifty years later, Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis proclaimed August 22, 1977, as "Sacco-Vanzetti Memorial Day" and described the trial as a miscarriage of justice.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on American History at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to American History and other relevant topics.