DCUSH Semester 2 Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep

Antiforeign hysteria in 1920s America shaped attitudes across society, including the justice system. Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants with anarchist ties, and the era’s intense fear of outsiders and radicals helped fuel a ruling climate that distrusted immigrants and presumed guilt in many cases. The trial became a symbol of how bias toward foreigners and political beliefs could influence judgments, leading to a conviction and execution that many observers linked to prejudice rather than solid evidence. This fits the idea that nativist, anti-immigrant sentiment was widespread in various aspects of life at the time.

The other options miss that broader social mood: it isn’t simply about disliking crime in general, nor about the idea that appeals always improve outcomes, nor about the judiciary being a flawless, impartial model.