The tension that was characteristic of the 1920’s came from a clash between traditional values and new progressive ideals. This manifested from new developments in commercial ideals, technology, and a new emerging ideal of the expression of "self" in society. The rapidly expanding industry which was consumer goods spearheaded the changes within the American home, especially technology. Furthermore many people were torn by the identification of the self in this new society; to identify with the newer progressive ideals or to hold steadfast to the traditional, victorian ideals which they held so sacred. The division between the progressive, secular, urban northern way of thinking and the traditional, christian, rural, southern mind set are what …show more content…
John T. Scopes, who taught high school biology in Dayton was brought before the court for teaching the theory of evolution. His trial put some of the issues of cultural debate under a microscope. Few people recognize that the Scopes trial was a product of the 1920s, a sign of its times. The trial became a culminating point of pre-existing tensions between rural and urban culture, between agnostics and fundamentalists, between traditionalism and modernity and these beliefs could not coexist without conflict, especially in a new era of scientific education (Document E). Beneath the surface argument of academic freedom and civil rights was the personal level of the case. America, as well as the rest of the world, began to divide over their stance on the Scopes Trial. Most southern Baptists saw the trial as a morality play in which goodness had vanquished evil. This “morality” play is an example of how evolution was perceived at the time. There was great offense taken by fundamentalists when they were compared to a lower species of animals by evolution. The theme good vs. evil was the point of the trial for Fundamentalists. Evolution was the evil which the prosecutor would fight …show more content…
Few people remember the 1920s as the heyday for the Klu Klux Klan but it was. During this time the KKK claimed to be a an advocate for ‘"old-fashioned values," but their idea of protecting their way of life was to destroy others (Source G). Of course the KKK continued its assault on the black community, but it also devoted new attention to the immigrants that came to the cities. The tension between immigrants and the xenophobic traditionalist wasp Americans, was very prominent in the 1920s (Source L).During the previous half century, the United States had undergone possibly the most dramatic metamorphosis in it’s short history.. It had transformed itself from a fragmented, regional agrarian economy into one of the most powerful industrial and urban economies of the world (Document D) and this work force was comprised of a large amount of immigrants. Everyone heard fairy tales of the opportunities i industry in America so everyone wanted to come here and as the value of the factory worker rose, the value of the farmer rapidly gave way to the industrialist, the capitalist, and the entrepreneur. And as the transition from agriculture to industry continued so did the rift between the southern farmer and the northern, immigrant factory