Important Events In The 1920's

The Roaring Twenties arose with new trends, new technology, and a new morality. With wars finally and completely over, it was time for Americans to have some fun and let all the tension go. The women were able to free some of their restrictions with the ability to drink, vote, and have their own reputation. Also, Americans released the stress through using new technology, such as cars, airplanes, and radios. The Twenties finished with a screeching halt as the growth in the economy collapsed and the Great Depression into the next decade. As the 1920s in America passed, many important and life-changing events occurred throughout the brief ten years. The first major event was on August 18, 1920, when Amendment XIX was added to the United States Constitution. This Amendment permits any U.S. citizen to vote, and forbids

John Thomas Scopes. This American legal case, started on May 5th, 1925 and lasting eight days, accused a biology teacher of breaking Tennessee’s Butler Act, which made the teaching of human evolution illegal in state-funded schools. The trial was fully publicized; it was detailed in all the newspapers and was the first trial to be broadcasted live on the radio. William Jennings Bryan, who earlier ran for presidential office, argued for the prosecution, and Clarence Darrow, a famed defense attorney, spoke for Scopes. They not only discussed the question of whether or not human evolution should be taught in schools, but also on whether evolution is really true. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but later the case was taken to higher court. They overturned Scopes’ conviction on a ‘technicality.’ Even though, in court the attorneys tried to answer the question of teaching evolution and of evolution itself, there was no real answer - Scopes was tried, they found him guilty, and the unanswered question of evolution lingered in all who followed the