Making sense of this crazy world · historymadeeasier

Rural America versus Urban America

September 7, 2025·25 min·2 clips

Elmer Goertz argued that Prohibition taught America disrespect for the law and showed that crime could be a very profitable career.

This episode examines the deep cultural and political divide between rural and urban America in the 1920s, focusing on two major case studies: the rise and fall of Prohibition, which fueled organized crime and widespread lawbreaking, and the Scopes Monkey Trial, which pitted religious fundamentalism against modern science. The host argues these historical conflicts help explain enduring divisions in American society today.

As heard by us

A clear take on 1920s city-country tension, Prohibition, and the backlash that followed.

The episode presents 1920s America as split between city and countryside, with rural America wary of urban self-indulgence, materialism, and looser morals.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want the city-versus-country fight at the heart of America s 1920s divisions.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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