Final answer:
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrant anarchists executed for a 1920 robbery and murder despite scant evidence due to prejudices during the Red Scare. Their trial demonstrated the impact of nativist fears and political bias on American justice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian immigrants and self-proclaimed anarchists, were arrested for a robbery and murder in Massachusetts in 1920. The case was highly controversial as there was little evidence linking them to the crime, yet their political beliefs became the focus of their trial and subsequent execution. The men were executed on August 23, 1927, amidst international protests and questions about the fairness of their trial. This case illuminated the impact of the Red Scare, fears of communism, and nativist attitudes on the American justice system, and how radical beliefs and immigrant status could influence court outcomes during that time.
People were fearful of Sacco and Vanzetti mainly due to their anarchist ideologies and the prevailing nativist sentiments against immigrants, particularly in the context of the post-World War I Red Scare. Their trial and execution demonstrated that the American justice system at the time was susceptible to prejudice, especially in times of national security concerns. The racial and ethnic background of defendants, along with their political beliefs, seemed to overshadow the objective examination of factual evidence in legal proceedings.
The Sacco-Vanzetti Trials became a symbol of the period's paranoia about immigrants and radical ideas, leading to international debates over justice and civil liberties. Their case is frequently cited as a miscarriage of justice, fueled by fear rather than facts, and has had a lasting impact on public perception of the judicial process in America.