Curated OER
Sacco and Vanzetti: “The Case That Will Not Die”
Studying this case within its historical context can help us better understand urgent current issues of today.
National First Ladies' Library
Safety or Civil Liberty? The Trial of Sacco and Vanzet
Students investigate the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and develop a basic understanding of the issues involved. Then they write an essay taking a stance on the Sacco-Vanzetti trial: was the trial fair? were the two men falsely accused? Finally,...
Curated OER
The Jury's Still Out
Young scholars examine the trials and executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In groups, they use the internet to research the impact of the executions in the shape of political cartoons and writings. They discuss an...
Curated OER
Live from Channel 22
Students explore 1920s America. In this American history instructional activity, students research primary and secondary sources in order to examine the events and noteworthy people of the time period. Students use their...
Curated OER
The American People
In this 1920's America worksheet, students respond to 14 short answer questions about the stocks, working conditions, the Harlem Renaissance, and wealth during the decade.
Digital History
Digital History: Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were caught up in anti-immigrant, Red Scare feelings in the 1920s. Read about their arrest and controversial trial filled with prejudice and errors.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti
Comprehensive site that provides the trial transcript and summary of evidence, as well as a chronology, biographies of trial participants, and information of the Red Scare.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Sentencing Statements of Sacco and Vanzetti
The actual statements given by Sacco and Vanzetti at their sentencing provides background behind the their trials and the Ben Shahn mural.
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania: Sacco Vanzetti Case
Presents a thorough examination of the Sacco and Vanzetti case. Read about the charges against the men, the trial, and the long-standing controversy surrounding the verdict.
Whitney Museum
Whitney Museum of American Art: Ben Shahn: The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti
Ben Shahn created a series of paintings about the trial, executions, and funerals of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. This site shows the funeral painting and explains the scene and symbolism Shahn painted.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Intolerance
The 1920s was a time of intolerance and a return to nativism, a claim to return to American values, defined as those held by white, western European descendents. Read about the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, restriction on immigration,...
Ohio State University
E History: Clash of Cultures in the 1910s and 1920s: Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti
Overview of the arrest, trial, and conviction of Sacco and Vanzetti, with a link to Felix Frankfurter's book on the subject, published in 1927, which concludes that the conviction was the result of the anti-immigration fury of the time.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University: Msu Libraries: Digital Collections: Sacco Vanzetti
Primary source documents and texts related to the Sacco-Vanzetti Case.Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were admitted anarchists who were tried and convicted of killing two men during an armed robbery. The materials include court...
The Atlantic Monthly Group
The Atlantic: The Never Ending Wrong
The famous author, Katherine Anne Porter, wrote an article in the July, 1977, The Atlantic magazine, recounting her memory of the Sacco-Vanzetti trial fifty years before, and commenting on the view of Anarchism and Communism in the...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Jazz Age: Redefining the Nation 1919 1929: Transformation and Backlash
Examines the role nativism played in 1920s America, the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, the disconnect between urban and rural lifestyles and values, and the fractious debate over evolution that was highlighted in the Scopes trial.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Migrant Struggle: Upton Sinclair
Muckraker Upton Sinclair is featured in this brief biography drawing particular attention to his novel, "The Jungle," written to alert people to the inhumane treatment of immigrant workers. See "Upton Sinclair Activities" for related...
Curated OER
Wikipedia: Natl Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts: Norfolk County Courthouse
This Greek Revival courthouse was built in 1827 and expanded over the 19th century. It was site of the controversial Sacco-Vanzetti trial in 1921, and has changed little since then.