The Roaring 20 s Conflicts Over Values Conflicts

The Roaring 20 s: Conflicts Over Values

Conflicts Over Values • The clash of urban and rural people values • Rural people represented traditional values • -(hard work, self-reliant, independent, religious) • Urban people represented changes that threatened those values

• The KKK experienced a revival in the 20 s • Most members were workers and small farmers (traditional beliefs) • They saw their status declining with the rise of urbanization • Targeted recent immigrants esp. Catholics and Jews • Tried to influence politics • Membership reached in the millions in the 20 s • Membership declined because Klan leaders involved in political scandals

The Rise of Fundamentalism – In changing times, many Americans turned to religion – Christianity criticized 1920 s changes – Their beliefs were based on a literal interpretation of the Bible – -this is called “fundamentalism” – -this belief says that events happened in the Bible exactly like they are told

The Scopes Trial – Fundamentalism conflicted with science – In the 1800 s, Charles Darwin created the idea of evolution • -organisms evolve from simpler life forms • -said that humans may have evolved from an ape-like species • conflicted with Christian teachings that God created people • Fundamentalists worked hard to make sure evolution was not taught in schools

The Scopes Trial • Tenn. 1925, a law forbade evolution to be taught • John Scopes, a teacher taught evolution anyway • He was taken to trial • Scope’s lawyer was Clarence Darrow • William Jennings Bryan led the prosecution • Trial not about whether or not Scopes broke the law (he obviously did) • It was about which was right, evolution or creation? ! • Called the Scopes Monkey Trial

• Bryan didn’t defend the Bible very well • The trial ended with John Scopes being convicted and fined $100 • He never had to pay, and evolution continued to be taught