Final answer:
The Sacco-Vanzetti trial showed an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment as two Italian immigrants with anarchist beliefs were convicted with little direct evidence amid a xenophobic climate, sparking international protests and criticisms of bias in the American judicial system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Sacco-Vanzetti trial showed an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment in the country through its focus on the defendants' backgrounds rather than solid evidence of their guilt. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants with radical anarchist beliefs, and their trial took place amid a climate of fear and xenophobia known as the Red Scare. Despite a lack of direct evidence and the existence of conflicting testimony, the two men were found guilty and executed, inciting international protests and criticism from prominent intellectuals, showcasing a judicial system influenced by nativism and national security concerns.
Immigrant groups, particularly Italian Americans, and intellectuals such as writer John Dos Passos and physicist Albert Einstein challenged the verdict, suggesting a bias against the men due to their immigrant and political status. This case highlighted the nation's suspicion of 'new immigrants' and radicals during the early 20th century and served as an unfortunate example of the intersection between judicial outcomes and xenophobic attitudes. The Sacco-Vanzetti trials also caused division among Americans and led to calls for a reassessment of justice within the context of immigration and radicalism.