Was the Rosenberg trial a fair trial? This issue has been highly controversial and debated throughout the 20th century. Many people believe that the Rosenbergs were innocent but received an unfair trial. Others believe the Rosenbergs received a fair trial and are guilty because of their involvement in espionage and the Soviet Union. Overall, the trial remains highly controversial due to their involvement in communism, their espionage convictions, and their display of treason against the United States with the Soviets. Before the Rosenbergs were convicted of espionage, events occurred that made America anti-communist. According to Douglas Linder, in March 1917 the Russian Revolution began, which marked the beginning of communism. Another event occurred in 1939, when Britain and Germany went to war (James Sweeney). America despised communism after confrontations with Germany and the Soviet Union. In 1917, a law on espionage was put in place (Douglas Linder). According to Douglas Linder, in 1923, a Communist Party was created in the United States. Megan Barnett believed the Rosenbergs joined the Communist Party because of Hitler's carnage. The Soviet Union and America were allies during World War II in 1943. According to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the United States did not share information with the Soviet Union because it was worried about the situation . Soviet intentions. In 1949, the Soviet Union began manufacturing atomic weapons. According to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, some Americans working on the Manhattan Project passed information to the Soviets because they felt sorry for them. Thomas Reeves states on page 421 that the Rosenbergs were the first American civilians to be executed for espionage during the war. The Rosenbergs were an American family... middle of paper......481 years old). According to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, both Rosenbergs were killed in the electric chair. Ethel had to endure three charges in the electric chair before being executed. According to Douglas Linder, the Rosenbergs' funeral took place on June 21, 1953. The Rosenbergs were buried in Wellwood Cemetery in New York. Overall, the Rosenbergs' trial was very controversial. Many people thought the Rosenbergs were innocent, but others thought they were guilty. Since then, mock trials have been held to see if the evidence was enough to prove the Rosenbergs guilty. It turned out the answer was no. Many people, despite the evidence, still believe the Rosenbergs are guilty. The Rosenbergs' participation in the Communist Party, their espionage beliefs, and their work for the Soviet Union were all events that led to their demise. So were the Rosenbergs really innocent? ?