Rural and Urban Conflict in the 1920s

Rural and Urban Conflict in the 1920s At the end of World War I, changes in society began to dominate daily lives. Conflict arose as an increasingly urban, secular society came into conflict with older rural traditions. The rise of new ideas and the change into peacetime economy brought problems in both urban and rural environments. The two sections of the county had their own sources of conflict, but many affected both. One source of conflict was fundamentalism, in which the millennial zeal of the 19th century was combined with a less rational way of interpreting the Bible. The Fundamentals, a series of religious pamphlets, gave fundamentalism its name, and allowed it to gain popularity. Fundamentalism became institutionalized in 1919 and 1920. The Darwin theory of evolution became more widely recognized and accepted in the more liberal parts of Protestant churches. Higher criticism of the Bible, much of which contradicted Darwins theory, followed. With the growing popularity of fundamentalism in the South, southern laws were passed prohibiting the teaching of evolution in schools. George W. Rappelyea offered support to teachers who wished to disobey the laws. John Scopes, a schoolteacher, took advantage of this offer and taught Darwins theory to his students. When arrested, Rappelyea alerted media to attend the trial. Clarence Darrow was Scopes attorney. Darrow wanted the jury to find Scopes guilty so he could appeal to higher court and get the law changed. When Darrow was denied the use of scientists to testify as expert witnesses, he called the prosecutor, Williams Jennings Bryan to the stand. Bryan was a highly religious fundamentalist. Through sarcastic questioning, Darrow got Bryan to contradict his beliefs, turning public sentiment against him. Scopes was found guilty, but given a minimal penalty, later overturned by an appeals court. This &q...