Prohibition and the Scopes Trial

changes in urban life
-migration from towns to cities rapidly accelerated between 1922 and 1929
-city dwellers began reading and arguing about current scientific and social ideas
-they judges each other by accomplishment rather than by background
-they also tolerated drinking, gambling, and casual dating
-streets were full of strangers
-life was fast-paced
-Americans found themselves caught between rural and urban cultures

Rural- safe world of close ties, hard work, and strict morals
Urban- big world of anonymous crowds, moneymakers, and pleasure seekers

effects of prohibition
-consumption of alcohol decreased
-disrespect for the law developed
-criminals found a new source of income
-drinkers went underground to "speakeasies"
-people learned to distill alcohol and built their own stills
-organized crime grew
-it caused worse effects than the initial problem

the scopes trial
-Tennessee passed a law which made it a crime to teach evolution in
-John T. Scopes defied the law and read about evolution in his biology class
-Scopes was arrested and his trial was set for July
-the scopes trial was a fight over evolution and the role of science and religion in public schools in American society
-Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 (the verdict was later changed due to a technicality)
-the law remained in effect



Did the passage of the Volstead Act and the ruling in the Scopes trial represent genuine (quality) triumphs for traditional values?

In my opinion, I think that the passage of the Volstead Act to some extent represented quality triumphs for traditional values, but for the most part, was unnecessary and unjustified in its reasons for enforcement. The only things I can think of that were good about the Volstead Act were that some people with certain beliefs would be satisfied and that the consumption of alcohol decreased. On the other hand, the Volstead Act/Prohibition was too opinionated with its reasons for enforcement as the main causes were based on the beliefs of people, which caused some people to be satisfied, and some to be outraged, causing disrespect of the law, which led to an increase in crime and rebellion.
On another matter, the ruling in the Scopes trial, in my opinion, represented absolutely NO genuine triumphs for traditional values. Scopes was found guilty of teaching evolution, which seems very ridiculous because I find no harm in the knowledge of evolution. I think that evolution is a very legitimate theory, which makes me believe that the ruling in this trial is barbaric and lacking triumphs for traditional values.