Prohibition and the Scopes Trial

Read Chapter 21-1, Changing Ways of Life, and answer the question below in at least two paragraphs. Make sure you include specific references from the reading to support your answer

Do you think the passage of the Volstead Act and the ruling in the Scopes trial represented genuine triumphs for traditional values? Think About:

• changes in urban life in the 1920s

• the effects of Prohibition

• the legacy of the Scopes trial


The Volstead Act and the ruling in the Scopes trial represented purely superficial triumphs for traditional values. It's impossible to change a country's morality; no matter what laws are passed, the basic values of every citizen cannot be adjusted to fit in with those of "traditional values". Take, for example, the Volstead Act - yes, it reinforced anti-alcohol laws, and yes, it worked to a minor extent. The steps that were taken to prevent the sale and consumption of alcohol, however, only served to encourage people to discover more creative ways to sneak around. This, one would think, actually lowers morality - now people were not only drinking but also lying and breaking the law. Such as it was with cities - there were so many people packed into one area, with such a wide variety of skills and interests, that activities that were not exactly reputable were bound to arise.
The Scopes trial showed the same false triumph. Certainly religious fanatics were happy with the victory, and because their moral values were being defended, but it did not carry through to the rest of the population. The fact that Bryan was unable to back up his arguments only impassioned supporters of evolution in schools; this has not change at all today. When one side forces their moral values on another, it only serves to enrage the other side, and results in a no-win situation.