The Roaring Twenties
Part 3—The Clash Between Traditionalism and Modernism:
Tradition vs. Modern, Generations Clash, Modern Science vs. Traditional Religion
That Was Then: The social, economic, and religious tensions divided Americans during the Roaring Twenties
g
g
This Is Now: The very same social, economic, and religious y
,
,
g
tensions continue to dived Americans today.
Traditionalism
Modernism
Overview
•Rural
•Respect for long held cultural and religious beliefs
•Traditional
Traditional values were the anchor
values were the anchor of of
society
•Provided stability and security
Overview
•Urban
•Embrace new ideas, styles, and social trends
•Traditional
Traditional values were chains
values were chains that that
restricted freedom and pursuit of happiness
Economic:
•Little disposable income
•Demand for American crops drops after WWI
•Prices drop = shrinking incomes
•Farmers lose their farms
Economic:
•More employment opportunities •Higher standard of living
•More choices
o e c o ces
SSocial:
i l
•Courtship—young man meets girl’s family; family central in “match making”
Social:
•Greater independence for younger generation in dating
ti i d ti and socializing
d
i li i
Religion vs. Science:
•looked to science, not the Bible, to Religion vs. Science:
explain how the physical world worked. •believed the Bible was the literal word of •Theory of Evolution
God
•rejected the theory of evolution because
“Youth Perspective”
• “Repressive old ways”
• Majority of teenagers go to high school
– Increased college enrollment
• Youth spending more time away from home
• New youth culture:
– Sports; clubs; music; dancing; dances
“Youth Perspective:” The Flapper
“Adult Perspective”
• “Youth
Youth has lost its way
has lost its way”
– Their behavior is reckless and immoral
• Censorship of “immoral” books, films, music
• The Hays Office:
– Movie codes banned long kissing and scenes of casual sex
– “Two feet on the floor”
• State Legislatures laws forbid:
– short skirts
h t ki t
– and skimpy swimsuits
Science vs. Religion
•
Greatest conflict over Darwin’s Theory of y
Evolution
– Upset Christian fundamentalists (
(conflicts with strict interpretation of p
the Bible)
• Belief that Modernists had “taken the Lord away from our schools.”
– Creationism: belief that God created the universe as described in the Bible.
•
Scopes Monkey Trail; July 10, 1925
– Tennessee made teaching evolution against the law; g
– Modernists believe that evolution, not creationism should be taught in p
public school
• John Scopes teaches evolution; tried and convicted
• Public opinion moves towards Modernists