What did the trial and eventual execution of Sacco and Vanzetti symbolize?

Answer 1

Depending on whom you asked back then, the trial and execution of Sacco and Vanzetti either symbolized proof that the US justice system was successful in convicting two anti-American anarchists and making sure they received a just punishment for their violent crimes; or it symbolized the total failure of the justice system to give two immigrants a fair trial and a just sentence, because they were from a foreign country and held views that were considered radical. The case was followed very closely by millions of people, thanks to intense coverage from the press (newspapers, magazines, and radio), and it seemed nearly everyone had an opinion.

It was a very controversial case, at a time when America was experiencing a wave of anti-Communists/anti-radical sentiment, as well as a wave of xenophobia (fear of foreigners). Some people truly believed Sacco and Vanzetti were guilty of robbery and murder and that they got what they deserved. But others believed the two men were convicted on circumstantial evidence, did not receive due process, and were found guilty more because of their anarchist views and their immigrant status rather than because the prosecution had proved they had committed the crime.

The execution also symbolized the ongoing controversy over the death penalty. Even in 1927, there were those who totally opposed putting convicted criminals to death, while others believed that if a person had committed a brutal crime, the death penalty was the appropriate punishment.