Final answer:
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrant anarchists who were tried and executed amid a climate of anti-immigrant sentiment and the Red Scare, despite scant evidence and much international protest. Their case remains a significant example of the impact of prejudice on the justice system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Trial and Execution of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti
The two poor immigrant anarchists who were arrested, jailed, and ultimately sentenced to death were Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Their trial, known as the Sacco-Vanzetti Trials, became a symbol of the Red Scare and anti-immigrant sentiment in America during the 1920s. Despite limited evidence connecting them to the robbery and murder they were accused of, their radical anarchist ideology and immigrant status contributed heavily to their conviction. Their case garnered international attention, with significant doubt cast on their guilt due to conflicting witness testimonies and a lack of physical evidence.
They were executed in 1927, but the controversy surrounding their trial continued to highlight the influence of political and nativist biases within the justice system. On the 50th anniversary of their deaths, a proclamation by Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis sought to clear their names and acknowledge the unfairness of their trial and conviction.