1920's DBQ

Although America experience a period of prosperity during the 1920's, it was also a period of conflict between the old traditional ways and the new ways. Essentially, a groups known as the fundamentalists completely disapproved of the new ways. Many of these fundamentalists were white protestant. The people who embraced these ways were the city dwellers. The cause for the social and economical differences during the 1920's was effec ts of World War I and these differences were manifested by the KKK, and new immigration laws.

New method of mass production developed during the war increased production, therefore decreased prices. Additionally, with new invention of credit allowed even the common Americans to buy new products. One of the greatest inventions of the 1920's was the Ford model T. The Model T gave more freedom to teenagers and allowed farm famillies to go on family outings and see the exciting life of the city. These new products and especially the Model T, became signs of wealth as Sinclair says, "The standard advertised wares...were his symbols and proof of excellence.."(doc A)

When the men were away fighting the World War, women took over jobs, which were previously held by men. Women gained a new sense of independence, as a resulf of World War I. From the 1920's the flapper women image formed. A flapper women was more social and wore shorter dresses and had shorter hair. The one group the was aganist this new found independence amoung women, were white protestants and the KKK. They believed that women should go back to being a homemaker. These groups were against almost all new ideas and inventions of the 1920's. Importantly, the KKK and the fundamentalists were aganist darwinism and allowing more new immigrants into America. As represent by the trial in Doc C, Fundamentalist believed that the bible should be accepted as it is given, but the intellecuts of the 1920's discredited the bible with ideas of Darwinism.