The Borden Murders: Lizzy Borden & the Trial of the Century
The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden & the Trial of the Century
By Sarah Miller
Project Contributors: Christianne Reyes, Robert Rojas, Brooke Reed, and Nathaniel Roe
About The Author
Sarah Miller's successful career as an author rooted from when she started writing her first novel at the age of ten. Living in Michigan with her family, Miller has so far written a total of five novels, focusing on historical fiction ad nonfiction. Miller's debut novel, Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller, was a work of historical fiction retelling Annie Sullivan's experiences working to educate and assist Helen Keller. This novel garnered numerous awards and honours, such as the ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, the Booklist Editor's Choice, and the Booklist Top 10 First Novels for Youth. Beyond this initial publication, her other four works have also accumulated many different accolades. All of Miller's novels are classified as historical fiction and nonfiction, displaying her dedication to presenting modern readers with in depth retrospectives on major events. Her interest in historic events has compelled Miller to make it her job to delve into familiar stories and shine light on forgotten corners.
Following her debut novel, Miller released her first work of historical nonfiction, titled The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden & the Trial of the Century. Among the other four works she has produced, it has received the most honors and distinctions, such as the Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books in 2017, the Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best in 2016, and placing on the International Literacy Association's Young Adult's Choice List in 2017. In this novel, which was hailed by the New York Times as "a Historical version of Law & Order", Miller exhibited the power of media to influence citizens through the many retellings of reporters distorting the truth for monetary gain. Miller's focus on fiction and nonfiction historical novels reveals not only her love of writing, but also her interest in exploring historical events through careful research. Throughout all her novels, Miller displays her passion for relaying important historical events in a manner palpable for child and young adult audiences.
Book Review
Ever since print media has existed, there have been those who use it to spread lies and rumors that, inevitably, ruin the personal and professional lives of those at the center of said rumors. Such was the case of 32 year old Lizzie Borden, who was accused of taking an axe and brutally murdering her father and step-mother. In The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century, Sarah Miller covers everything from the time that the Borden's were murdered to after of the trial. The one motif throughout the book that is as apparent as the blood that soaked into the Borden's rug the day of the murders is the power of yellow journalism.
In the modern era where most people get their news from unreliable social media outlets, Miller's nonfiction Young adult novel is an engaging and, at times, extremely graphic moment-by-moment narrative of one of the most bizarre murders and trials in american history. Her novel also serves as a reminder for readers that it is important to not believe the nonsensical tales that various news outlets strum up for the sake of sensationalism. While the Bordens were murdered in a time devoid of Twitter and Facebook, news of the brutal crime spread fast, and accompanying it were tales spun by individuals like John Cunningham, who noted that Lizzie Borden's actions were, "rather perculiar for a lady" (Miller 40). Small comments like these relating to Lizzie Borden's character propelled public suspicion that devastated her personal life and have left the wider cultural conscious certain of her guilt even long after her life ended.
Lizzie Borden was almost imprisoned because of these rumors and although she eventually was declared not guilty, Miller makes it abundantly clear that there is a large distinction between not guilty and innocent. Despite the fact that she was acquitted, Lizzie never found peace in her community due to the impact of the rumors told about on those around her. Rumors of incest, bribery, and murder were written and published from numerous newspaper agencies which "besmirched Lizzie Borden from every possible angle with out a shred of proof" (Miller 146). These Rumors might have influenced the jury had it not been for Lizzie's capable legal team, who effectively discredited a majority of them throughout the grand trial. However, the jury of public opinion was still largely against Lizzie due to the image formed from newspapers published around the country. These false reports would continue to haunt Lizzie for the rest of her life, even as she worked tirelessly in her community, donating generous amounts of money to various humanitarian societies. No matter what she did, the image of the deranged parricidal axe murderer never left her.
Miller's book does an excellent job illustrating what can happen when people fall victim to dishonesty reporting, a topical subject matter in the modern political and social climate. Miller's book reminds readers to fact check their sources and not make assumptions simply based on an article with a catchy headline. In an age when amassing clicks often takes precedence over reflecting actual evidence, we need to keep in mind how others' lives are affected by the tales we tell.
Online Resources and Lesson Plan Materials
Online Resources:
1. https://lizzieandrewborden.com/borden-house-videos.htm
This link supplies an in depth description of the floor plans of the original house, a view of the cemetery where the Borden's were buried, and an outside view of the house from the street. Each picture is connected to a link with a video that tours all of these locations. It provides a better understanding of the setting where the murders took place.
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=271&v=C77TckcWHlk&feature=emb_logo
This 13 minute video tours the original Borden house in Fall River, Massachusetts where the murders took place. The house is now used as a Bed and Breakfast and a Museum that is visited by many tourists every year. This video debunks some of the myths about the murders and showcases some of the original artifacts and antiques from the house.
1. https://lizzieandrewborden.com/borden-house-videos.htm
This link supplies an in depth description of the floor plans of the original house, a view of the cemetery where the Borden's were buried, and an outside view of the house from the street. Each picture is connected to a link with a video that tours all of these locations. It provides a better understanding of the setting where the murders took place.
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=271&v=C77TckcWHlk&feature=emb_logo
This 13 minute video tours the original Borden house in Fall River, Massachusetts where the murders took place. The house is now used as a Bed and Breakfast and a Museum that is visited by many tourists every year. This video debunks some of the myths about the murders and showcases some of the original artifacts and antiques from the house.
This article neatly organizes all of the events from the murders in a clear, chronological order. It sorts out each day and year with a description of the events and even includes information on the family's timeline.
This is the original copy of the indictment and the crimes that Lizzie Borden was charged with and taken to trial for. This original piece of paper provides an in depth description of the brutal murders of Lizzie's father and step-mother.
This is a short series with about 8 episodes that tells the story of Lizzie Borden and her trial. It provides great insights into the actual events and can be easily accessed through Netflix. The series is rated PG-13, but each episode is informative and connects to this book very well. It follows the original story while incorporating many new twists to get the viewers thinking.
This link provides a short 3 minute animated video that highlights the important events of Lizzie Borden and the crimes she committed. The article also includes a short quiz with comprehension questions on the events. It can be used as a group activity or a fun assignment for students.
This article includes potential lesson plan ideas that can be used within the classroom. It contains fun activities about the Borden's murders and encourages students to use critical thinking and analytical skills.
This article states all of the evidence presented against Lizzie Borden. It is a collection of information that was used against her during the trial and explains why she was acquitted. The article covers the murder weapon, the unusual alibi and behavior, and even the potential motive.
Lesson Plan Materials:
Worksheet:
Lesson Plan
Grade Level: 10-12
Purpose: To analyze multiple perspective on a singular event to observe how authorial intent/bias can be gleaned through form, diction, figurative language, and other literary elements
Objectives:
- Have students identify the variance between different accounts of the same event.
- Have students identify how the diction and phrasing employed by the author influences the way in which the reader engages with the text.
- Have students recognize these variations and choices as a reflection of authorial influence on how the readers take in and understand information.
Anticipatory Set: Preface the activity with a brief discussion on how media bias is represented already within the text. Point out passages where Sarah Miller expressly focuses on the media and prompt students to consider how public opinion was shifted through reporting, regardless of how factual said reporting was.
Content Standards:
Reading Standards for Literature
- #3- Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
- #5- Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
- #7- Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem evaluating how each version interprets the source text.
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
- #1- Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
- #3- Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
- #6- Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
- #7- Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Writing Standard
- #8- Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources
Materials: Pens, pencils, several different retellings of the Borden murders, and the corresponding flow chart and Venn diagram worksheet.
Teaching Sequence:
1. Divide students into groups.
a) The number of students included in each group should correspond to the number of articles you have prepared (i.e. four articles: four students per group)
b) Number off each group member.
2. Number each of the documents and set them up in designated areas around the room.
3. Explain to the students that they will be leaving their groups to go read and discuss the article that corresponds to their number.
a) Each student will become an expert in their individual document; they will be meeting with representatives from the other groups to further discuss their articles (ex. All the threes from the different groups will come together to discuss article number three).
4. Provide students with around twenty minutes to delve into the specifics of their article.
a) Encourage them to focus on the sequence of events, the word choice, and the characterization of those present in the text.
5. Have the students return to their original groups.
6. Pass out the flow chart and Venn diagram worksheet.
7. Have the students first individually fill out the flow chart based on the narrative presented by their particular article, give them about five to ten minutes for this.
a) They should not be discussing their articles with each other yet, they should only be pinpointing the specifics of their narrative.
8. After the flow charts are completed, have the students begin discussing with each other to fill out their Venn diagrams.
a) Within the diagrams, they will be comparing and contrasting the narratives they read to try and discover significant omissions, commonalities, and other details that could impact how the reader understands the information.
Closure: After all the groups have completed their discussion of the articles, return to the initial text. Ask the students to consider the ways in which Sarah Miller exemplifies the concepts being discussed. Point them to specific passages where it is evident that Miller is encouraging the reader to think about the case in a specific way. Consider how bringing in so much previously unknown evidence at the conclusion of the story leaves the reader with the same uncertainty that the jurors were left with in regards to Lizzie's guilt.
Outcomes: Students should be capable of applying the skills learned in this lesson to better discern bias within reporting and any literary work. Students should be more focused on the way authors are able to utilize literary elements to subtly influence reader response.
Bibliography:
"Bringing History To Life." Sarah Miller Books, http://www.sarahmillerbooks.com/.
Bibliography:
"Bringing History To Life." Sarah Miller Books, http://www.sarahmillerbooks.com/.
