The Sacco and Vanzetti Case: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) - Softcover

Topp, Michael M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312400888 ISBN 13: 9780312400880

Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004

Synopsis

In 1920 Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants and devout anarchists, were accused of robbery and murder. Their subsequent trial and execution captivated the world and exposed many of the cultural and political tensions of 1920s America. Sacco and Vanzetti’s supporters claimed the two anarchists had been persecuted for their beliefs and not their actions, while their detractors saw proof of the country’s ability to protect itself from dangerous foreign elements. Michael Topp’s unique collection of documents examines both sides and provides a clear presentation of the trial while emphasizing the broad historical context in which it was conducted. An interpretive introductory essay, document headnotes, a chronology, and questions for consideration provide further pedagogical support. A bibliographic essay and a brief discussion of artistic productions based on the trial are also included.

About this title

About the Author:

MICHAEL M. TOPP is an associate professor of history at the University of Texas, El Paso, where he has taught since 1993. A specialist in immigrant and working-class history, he is the author of Those Without a Country: The Political Culture of Italian American Syndicalists (2001). He has written numerous essays on such subjects as the Italian American Left, masculinity and nationalism, immigrant historiography andits relevance to the study of the border, and racial and ethnic identity in the United States. He is currently working on a history of cultural identity and mental illness in the United States.

Review:

"Topp's book is well-written and scholarly, yet accessible to the general reader. It is clear, it is comprehensive, and it is fairminded. It provides a full and objective history of Sacco and Vanzetti as we are likely to see for some years."
--Paul Avrich, Queens College/CUNY

"This is a much-needed work that makes the Sacco-Vanzetti case accessible to students in a lucid and sophisticated presentation of the background, development, and outcome of the case. I do not think there is a better treatment designed to be used in class."
--Philip Cannistraro, Queens College/CUNY

"The documents Professor Topp has selected are very appropriate for his purposes, perfectly illustrating the main themes articulated in his introduction. Most of this material (trial transcript and Galleani's writings especially) is very difficult to obtain even for scholars, much less students. Some of it has never before been translated into English. Topp's scholarship is one of the most compelling qualities of the project."
--Nuncio Pernicone, Drexel University

"Topp has done an excellent job of locating the Sacco and Vanzetti trial in its time and place. The various elements-Italian ancestry, anarchist beliefs, the tense political atmosphere, the unfair operation of the investigative and judicial machinery, the dismay and rising anger of those sensitive to the commission of injustice-that together explain why the trial assumed such importance then, and continues to stir debate, are all expertly handled."
--Mark Gelfand, Boston College

About this edition

• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0312400888
• ISBN 13: 9780312400880
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 200