Extra Credit: the Strange Case of Lizzie Borden

1. The rich people of Fall River, Massachusetts, lived on a hill above the less wealthy people who lived below the hill and by the river. 2. Andrew Borden became wealthy, because he was a banker. Unlike the other Bordens, he was miser, living below his means.
3. Lizzie Borden needs to get a husband, because in the 1890's women in their 30's married and had children. She also, wanted to live among the elite. Neither of these could happen if her parents were alive.
4. The police strategies/policies in the 19th century and today both search the scene of the crime, interview the witnesses, and do forensics. Also, in the 19th century, like today, the police had a sort of Miranda right for people being arrested. Only today, unlike the 19th century, people aren’t allowed on the crime scene until it is cleared and police will not let an incapacitated witness give a statement.
5. After the news of the murders, people in Fall River were terrified. Many people believed the killer was still on the loose.
6. In the 19th century, people considered murder with physical contact, like axing, as masculine, while murder with no physical contact, like poisoning, was considered feminine.
7. When the press entered the scene, an immigrant or insane person was blamed for the murders, because those people were considered to be social deviants at the time.
8. Feminist groups supported Lizzie Borden, because they believed that Lizzie should be tried by a jury of her peers. Women.
9. The public was shocked the Lizzie was indited, because during the 19th century, it was very rare women committed a crime. U.S. society in the late 19th century, didn’t believe a woman was capable of a murder by axing.
10. Lizzie Borden’s defense attorneys were Andrew J. Jennings, Borden family lawyer,
George D. Robinson, former Governor of Massachusetts, and Melvin O. Adams , Boston attorney. Together these men were the legal dream team, creating Lizzie Borden’s look and mannerisms during the trial.
11. Journalists emphasized the trial by extensive coverage and advertisements involving her name.
12. Lizzie wore dresses and carried a fan around; she also fainted when gross descriptions of the deceased’s bodies. These tactics were important, because people wouldn’t believe she had done it, because she was a woman.
13. Dewey restates the defenses ideas and basically tell the jury to acquit.
14. Borden became “an important part of the culture”, because a song was made up about her so her legacy lives on. Lizzie Borden and O. J. Simpson ‘s trials are similar. Both trials were sensational trials, both defenses were dream teams, both trials had extensive media coverage, and both defendants were assumed guilty.
15. The recent theory of incest surrounding the Borden case has merit, because the face of Andrew J. Borden was completely destroyed and his eyes were wiped out. People figured it couldn’t be done by a stranger, so it had to be a family member, because a stranger would only kill the victim with one or two blows, and it seemed that a very angry person killed him, taking 11 blows. People thought that if the father had been looking at Lizzie in inappropriate ways, that is why his face and eyes were destroyed.