21-1 Changing Ways of Life
pp. 612-617
EQ: What life/lifestyle changes had the most profound effects on Americans in the 1920s?
Subquestions:
a. What was important about Billy Sunday? How big an influence did he have?
b. What were the important differences between urban and rural lifestyles?
c. Describe American fundamentalist? Who were some of its most colorful characters?
d. What was important about the Scopes trial?
Starter Sources:
· **ClassZone ch. 21**
· Lots of good Google.com videos on Aimee Semple McPherson and Billy Sunday--can't play most in school but you can access at home.
· Scopes Trial as a play and film: Inherit the Wind. This link is not fantastic, but the feature film with Spencer Tracy and Fredric March (plus an outstanding supporting cast) is a knockout. Here's my favorite scene: **favorite scene about creationism versus** evolution. It's 8:44 long. What can you find that corresponds with the Danzer text??
Rural and urban differences were extremely different. The main, and most obvious, difference was that urban lifestyle consisted of big cites with lots of buildings, and rural lifestyles were more small town type places with lots of farms. Rural towns were sleepy little places; urban cities never slept at all. Here’s an example of urban lifestyles: at the beginning of the 1920’s New York had a population of 5.6 million people and topped the list of biggest cities. Next was Chicago with nearly 3 million, and then Philadelphia with nearly 2 million. They population consisted of several different ethnicities: African-Americans, Poles, Irish, Russian, Italians, Swedes, Arabs, French, and Chinese. In Chicago, an “estimated 300,000 workers, 150,000 cars and buses, and 20,000 trolleys poured into the pulsing downtown” (Danzer pg 613). “Life in these booming cities was far different from the slow-paced, intimate life in America’s small towns” (Danzer p 613). Rural cities were mostly farms and secret-less. Cities were all skyscrapers and scandals. It’s like comparing Region 12 to Time Square……
ReplyDeleteWhat was important about BIlly Sunday? How big an influence did he have?
ReplyDeleteIn the 1920's social reformers had hoped to ban the use of alcohol. The 18th amendment banned the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol. Billy Sunday was an evangelist who preached against the evils of drinking. He predicted a new age of virtue and religion. His dream for morality and sobriety wouldn't be realized in the 1920's. The effort to outlaw alcohol had failed with too many people disagreeing. This one example showed the changing values of people during the 1920's. I think that Billy Sunday did have a pretty big influence not during the 1920's but later in the decade. He probably was most influential towards native-born Americans who opposed the use of alcohol. People began to concentrate more on its urban future rather than its rural past.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ROiQMPRuVfQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=Billy+Sunday+and+alcohol+prohibition&ots=1kOF2biS3L&sig=qV5dQrhFYRrxJ48z2kwiFxlTi5k#v=onepage&q=Billy%20Sunday%20and%20alcohol%20prohibition&f=false
This source just talks a little bit about what his preaching was like.
Describe American fundamentalist? Who were some of its most colorful characters?
ReplyDelete➢ Fundamentalism: protestant movement grounded in a literal, or non-symbolic, interpretation of the Bible. (Danzer)
➢ Argued against science, and felt that bible was knowledge people needed, they believed all bible stories were true
Characters: Billy Sunday was a retired baseball player who went around and held emotional meetings in the South. Another revivalist was Aimee Semple McPhereson who won over thousands of people. She even founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Here is a video link of Billy making a speech warning America....
http://youtu.be/Ykn8YcIbmfo
What were the important differences between urban and rural lifestyles?
ReplyDeleteRural and Urban lifestyles were basically opposites. Rural areas consisted of farms and small communities, while Urban areas consisted of big buildings, more of a city life atmosphere. America had become more of an "urban nation." (Page 612)
Living in the city was extremely different compared to living in "slow paced, intimate life in America's small towns." (page 613) "The census figures for that year demonstrated for the first time that more Americans lived in cities than in the rural countryside. The rise of an urban society, however, it also profoundly changed attitudes of Americans." Chicago was known as the industrial powerhouse, with 163 skyscrapers. City dwellers looked at new ideas and they also tolerated dating, drinking and gambling. The city demanded endurance, and it was always at a fast pace. streets were filled with strangers, not neighbors as it would be in a rural family. People who lived in Urban live found themselves away from home opposed to the rural people. Rural life was more about hard work and strict morale values.
http://www.suite101.com/content/urban-american-life-in-the-1920s-a190980
What was important about BIlly Sunday? How big an influence did he have?
ReplyDeleteBilly Sunday, like many other social reformers of his time, believed strongly in his cause. An Evangelist, Billy strongly supported the prohibition movement, or the banning of alcohol. "The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, banning the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol, took effect in January of 1920." (Danzer 612) Sunday predicted that the start of prohibition would create a "new age of virtue and religion." (Danzer 612) Sadly, Billy's prediction failed to come true. The 18th Amendment failed because of the widespread opposition to it. Sunday influenced the prohibition movement, but he did not have a big enough presence to keep the movement alive. For better insight into Sunday's views, NPR has a 3 part audio article about Billy Sunday. It investigates his story, and his "muscular" ways of preaching.
Link To NPR Audio: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=85457
What was important about the Scopes trial?
ReplyDeleteThe Scopes trial was about the fight overevolution and role of science and religon in public schools and in American society (p.616 Darwan) John T. Scopes was a biology teacher in Dayton, Tennesee and was agesnt the band to teach evolutin. Clarence Darrow was the most famous trail lawyer and he was choosen to be Scopes lawyer for the trial. In http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/05/lawyers-on-film-the-wise-of-heart.html shows a film that renacts the Scopes trial also compairing it to the To Kill a Mockingbird trail. In the end Darrow was spot on in asking questions but Scopes wasstill fined $100 (p. 617)
Billy Sunday?
ReplyDeleteBilly Sunday was a very important figure in American history. Besides being a famous baseball player, he has a hand in one of the strangest times in American history, prohibition. The 18th amendment was passed by congress banning the sale and manufacturing of alcohol. In the 1880s Sunday left baseball to pursue evangelical Christianity, where his ideas formulated about prohibition. He became famous for his theatrical speeches. He became the strongest supporter of the amendment and ensured its passing. (http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorpsunday.html) “Sunday’s dream was of a new age of morality and sobriety.” (Danzer, page 612). As it turned out Billy’s dream was an awful idea. It led to the creation of speakeasies and did more damage than it did to help. Nevertheless prohibition was an important part of the 20s and American history. The 18th amendment shows that sometimes the government shouldn’t try to interfere with peoples day to day lives to improve them. The results can be disastrous.
a. What was important about Billy Sunday? How big an influence did he have?
ReplyDeleteBilly Sunday was a very influential man. Maybe not in the 1920’s but following decades. He was a famous American born baseball player who preached for sobriety and morality. He and other native born Americans wanted to stop the use of alcohol but immigrants used it daily. This was just one of the social clashes happening at this time. Like the debate between religion and science coexisting peacefully and big city ideals compared to small town values. Overall Sunday’s mission wasn’t successful in the 1920’s but when the 18th amendment was passed and prohibition was enforced. But this lead to the creation of a dark business I the US. Speakeasies started where alcohol was sold illegally. But these speakeasies were supplied by bootleggers who had fast cars which could out run police. But he also lead to the problem of organized crime over the next 60 years primarily. Billy Sunday said, “I challenge you to show me where the saloon has ever helped business, education, church, morals or anything we hold dear.” This quote shows how his evangelists views would later inspire others Americans to create the America which he invisioned.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/billy_sunday.html
What was important about Billy Sunday? How big an influence did he have?
ReplyDeleteBilly Sunday was am evangelist who preached against the evils of drinking to the public. The effort to ban alcohol failed after the 1920's when too many people disagreeed with the outlaw of it. This subject caused clashes between small-town residents and big city dwellers, native-born Americans and immigrants, and religion and science. Billy Sunday's preaching didnt change enough opinions, however, and his efforts did not reach the outcome of prohibition that he and so many of his followers had hoped for. After all, only 19% of Americans supported prohibition in the middle of the 20's. However, he was still a significant and influential person of the 1920's who is later recognized by thousands of historical resources. He's even on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TxzLPvwgms
Scopes Trial-
ReplyDeleteIn March of 1925, in Tennesee, The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) promised to defend any teacher that went up against the law that made it a crime to teach evolution. John T Scopes accepted the challenge.I his biology class he read a passage from Civic Biology - that said- "We ahve now learned that animal-forms may be arranged so as to begin with the simple one celled forms and cumulate with a group which includes man himself." He was arrested promptly andhad a trial date for July.
Clarence Darrow was Scopes lawyer. The trial became a national sensation almost over night. The judge, Raulston, moved the court outside. Scopes was found guilty. The clash over evolution and the emerging urba scene all were evidence of the changes and conflicts occuring during the 1920's.
Fundamentalists were Protestants who believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible. They were distrustful of science and new religious customs brought by immigrants. One colorful Fundamentalist figure was Aimee Semple McPherson. She was minister in Las Angeles in the early 1920’s. She dressed dramatically in flowing, white robes and used “Hollywood showmanship” to draw a following (Danzer, p616). In 1926 “Sister “Aimee disappeared for 32 days. Police investigation revealed a ransom note signed by the Avengers and asking for $500,000 for her safe return. Finally she showed up on the outskirts of Douglas, Arizona. In the ensuing investigation many facts didn’t line up and Sister Aimee was charged with perjury (giving false information). However she stuck with her story and was declared innocent.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/la/scandals/aimee.html
d. What was important about the Scopes trial?
ReplyDeleteThe Scopes trial was important because it was a fight over evolution and religions role in the curriculum in public schools.(Danzer 616)Clarence Darrow was one of the most successful trial lawyers of the time and he called William Jennings Bryan to the stand, three time democratic candidate for president and a devout fundamentalist.(Danzer 616). Darrow questioned Bryan on the stand until he cracked saying that the Earth probably wasn't created in 6 days. Even though that was appalling to hear by many of the citizens there it didn't really affect the outcome of the trial. Scopes still had to pay a $100 fine. This is an example of how the idea of separation of church and state didn't happen
What were the important differences between urban and rural lifestyles?
ReplyDeleteOne major difference was the population seeing as two million people left for the city each year. Another difference is that cities could be very cold to strangers, while the rural area was very intimate to everyone who inhabited it. Also gangs and the mafia started to form in the cities, or as the text book called it, "organized crime" started appearing. All together rural life was, as always, quiet and nice, while city life was harsh and loud.