Debate in the 1920s Scopes Trial & Prohibition

Today’s Objective After today’s lesson, students will be able to… Explain why prohibition failed and why the Scopes trial occurred Essential Skill Explicitly assess information and draw conclusions

What does this quote mean? “It is the prohibition that makes anything precious.” - Mark Twain

The Noble Experiment

Analyze Political Cartoons With your partner study and analyze each political cartoon Evaluate the message and determine whether the cartoon is for or against Prohibition; record your guess.

18 th Amendment (1919) “Forbade the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol anywhere in the United States” Enforced by the Volstead Act

The Rise and Fall of Prohibition As you watch this clip… Brainstorm possible arguments in favor of Prohibition (Drys) Brainstorm possible arguments against Prohibition (Wets)

“Dry” Arguments Strengthen family bonds Eliminate moral depravity Overall consumption decline Arrests for public drunkenness decrease Hospitalization for alcoholism declines Mental hospital admissions for alcoholism decline Decline in “secondary” health problems

“Wet” Arguments Enforcement too difficult; “legislating morality” Encouraged lawlessness & corruption Divided the country Enforcement too expensive Illegal alcohol “unregulated” Overloaded court system Institutionalized organized crime syndicates Increased urban violence Violated individual rights Created black market wealth

Prohibition Fails “It is the prohibition that makes anything precious.” – Mark Twain 21 st Amendment repealed the 18 th Amendment in 1933 Can you identify similar “prohibition” efforts that failed… “War on Drugs”

Scopes “Monkey” Trial

The Clash Over Evolution The defenders of traditional religion looked to the Bible for support in the struggle against this new wild atmosphere of the Twenties

Modernists Modernists looked to science, not the Bible, to explain how the physical world worked. Scientists accepted as true only facts and theories that could be tested and supported with evidence.

Theory of Evolution British naturalist Charles Darwin theorized that all plants and animals, including humans, had evolved from simpler forms of life

Tennessee and Scopes Tennessee became the first state to ban the teaching of evolution in public schools Scopes believed that he cannot teach biology without teaching evolution. Scopes is arrested for teaching the theory of evolution

The Scopes Trial The Scopes Trial began on July 10, 1925, bringing far more attention than both sides had expected Some 200 national reporters arrived in Dayton, Tennessee. Tourists and vendors (selling toy monkeys) descend on Dayton’s “circus” atmosphere

Bryan vs. Darrow William Jennings Bryan agrees to represent the State of Tennessee with its prosecution of John Scopes High-powered lawyer Clarence Darrow offers to defend Scopes free of charge

“If evolution wins, Christianity goes” – William Jennings Bryan

“Scopes isn’t on trial: civilization is on trial” – Clarence Darrow

The Scopes Trial After listening to only one Darrow’s defensive experts, the judge refuses to let his remaining experts testify

The Scopes Trial For a moment, it looked like Darrow had no defense. Then he surprised everyone by calling Bryan to the stand as an expert on the Bible.

“Do you claim that everything in the Bible should be literally interpreted?” – Clarence Darrow

“I believe everything in the bible should be accepted as it is given there” – William Jennings Bryan

I do not think it means necessarily a twenty-four hour day. Creation might have continued for millions of years.” – William Jennings Bryan

The Scopes Trial Darrow had tricked Bryan into admitting that he himself did not always interpret each and every word in the Bible as the literal truth

The Verdict When the trial ended, it took the jury fewer than 10 minutes to find Scopes guilty. The judge fined John Scopes only $100 for breaking the Tennessee law

Victory in Defeat Although John Scopes had been found guilty by the judge, it was believed to be a huge victory for science

The End…Not Quite The Scopes trial did not end the debate over teaching evolution in public schools