Evolution Of The 1920s

Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion concentrates on the Scopes trial, otherwise called the "Monkey Trial," which happened in Dayton, Tennessee in the mid year of 1925. The trial occurred in excess of a Tennessee law that banned the educating of human development out in the open schools. The American Civil Liberties Union needed to test the law, and a junior instructor named John Scopes, consented to help them. The alleged "trial of the century" united the well known government official and speaker, William Jennings Bryan, who headed the opposition to development campaign; and Clarence Darrow, who was viewed as the best criminal protection legal advisor of the time. The two men, plus their individual direction, clashed in the trail with the indictment in the end ready to maintain the law.

On March 21st, 1925 the governor of Tennessee signed the Butler Bill which banned the teaching of evolution in public schools. The bill was introduced as America was pushing for a return to fundamentalism due to the actions of many citizens. In an attempt to bring publicity to the town of Dayton, Tennessee people in the town asked John Thomas Scopes to cover evolution in his class so he can be indicted and bring the case to national attention. Scopes’ defense attorney was a man named Clarence Darrow; he was a very popular defense attorney and public speaker. Darrow delivered a powerful speech in which he tried to prove the Butler Bill unconstitutional due to the fact that it

Through the 1920s, conflicts regarding the teachings of religious values versus Evolution, along with the increasing fight for women’s independence, caused a great deal of tension within America. Prior to the ‘20s schools taught the Bible and Christianity’s principles were stressed. It was in 1925 when Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes, a biology teacher, who was put on trial in the court for teaching the theory of Evolution (Doc C). This document illustrates the dialogue of

The Scopes Trial is a standout amongst the most well-known trials in American history. The trial was a lawful case in 1925 in which a substitute high school teacher, John Scopes, was charged with violating Tennessee 's Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach Darwinism in any state-financed school. This trial was a gathering between various polar opposites, for example, Fundamentalism and Modernism. The clash between fundamentalism and modernism during the Scopes Trial had a significant impact on the American education system.

The Scopes trial was a trial over a misdemeanor offense by substitute teacher John Scopes, but it ended up becoming an even huger trial between fundamentalist and modernist. Modernist and fundamentalist were fighting for control of America’s education system and the result of the trial would have a drastic effect on Tennessee’s education system. When the Butler Act was passed in 1925, the ACLU (American Citizens Liberties Union) sent a press discharge to a few Tennessee daily papers, publishing that they would give legitimate support, and so forth for a teacher in Tennessee who would be eager to stand trial for having taught Darwinism in a government funded school so an experiment could be mounted to test the established legitimacy of the Act. A gathering of citizens in the residential area of Dayton acknowledged ACLU 's offer, with the expectation that the exposure encompassing the trial would help to switch the town 's declining fortunes. The group

America in the 1920’s was called the new era. It is called a new era because it became a turning point in American society, and marked a separation from the 19th century and the 20th century. We soon begin to develop our own social norms, music, and culture as we evolve into a modern nation. The 1920s was also a time of significant economic, political, and social change.

The 1920s was a time of prosperity and new ideas that challenged the social norm and began the movement into modernism that we know of today. The economy was still coming off of the First World War and tax policies were creating an economic boom with the increase of discretionary income. The United States was in a scary position on what to do after coming home from such a brutal war that was going to end all wars. The young generation brought out the best in people and challenged the intellect of many bright minds that had the solid traditionalist views with the new fast paced modernistic thoughts. The 1920s were a time of growth and led the United States and the modern views came quick and made a lasting impact.

Locals of Dayton pursued publicity from the court case over the actual teaching of evolution. George Rappleyea, the local coal mine manager, attempted to persuade other town leaders that a controversial court case would attract much media attention and "put Dayton on the map." School superintendent Walter White was a town leader present and decided 24 year old general science teacher John Scopes was a suitable candidate for the guilty party. Rappleyea said that "nobody could teach biology without teaching evolution.” Once Scopes was convinced he had indeed broken the law by teaching evolution, he agreed to take place in the trial. The main prosecuting attorney was William Jennings Bryan, a three time presidential candidate and former Secretary of State.

“I feel that I have been convicted of violating an unjust statute. I will continue in the future, as I have in the past, to oppose this law in any way I can. Any other action would be in violation of my ideal of academic freedom—that is, to teach the truth as guaranteed in our Constitution of personal and religious freedom. I think the fine is unjust.” John T. Scopes. The state of Tennessee had beaten the defendant and had shown that they, no matter how good a trial, will not be bested when it came to the Butler Act. Scopes should’ve won the trial, except some limiting factors that made it virtually impossible for him to win was towards the end of the trial when all of his key witnesses had been struck from the record and could not be used to influence the final verdict, by the time the trial had started he already had a target on his back and he had already lost in the eyes of the country and how they treated the case as a publicity stunt and not the importance they needed to. This changed the view of people and the school’s.

William Jennings Bryan was an attorney on the Scopes trial that supported the Butler bill which prevented teachers from legally teaching evolution in Tennessee

Dayton is a small beautiful Southern town in Tennessee with only a few thousand inhabitants. However, in 1925, Dayton was on the front pages of newspapers all over the United States. Thousands of Americans were arriving to watch the spectacle that happened in this town. Mencken, one of the reporters that came to see the trial unfold, stated that the Scopes Trial was an extraordinary opportunity to put the small town of Dayton on the map (Scopes Trial, Mencken’s Trial Account, July 9, p. 1). Not only that, the trial brought Clarence Darrow, the nation’s greatest defense attorney, and William Jennings Bryan, the nation’s greatest political orator and three-time presidential candidate, into the trial. Due to these factors, New York Times called it “the most

The Scopes trial happened mainly because the Butler Act was passed, the Butler Act made it illegal to teach human Evolution in a public school. And even though the main objective of the scopes trial was to attract business to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee it ultimately ended in science gaining higher value in the American society over religion.

William Jennings Bryan is known for his standings on many prevalent issues through the years. The most prominent instances that were graced by his opinion were his stand with the Populist and Democratic parties in the 1890’s and then later his opposition to teaching the theory of evolution in the 1920’s. William J. Bryan “ interpreted political reform as a part of the Christian mission to move man closer to God’s vision of earthly perfection”. According to Bryan, there was no separation between politics of the church and of the nation. He won over many with his “ ability to marshal the spirit and rhetoric of the nation’s Christian heritage”. Religion formed the basis of all of his lectures no matter what he supported or opposed. In Bryan’s

“Everything in the Bible should be taken as it is given” Bryan. “The Scopes Trial” also known as “the Monkey Trial” was a very controversial trial because of what was at stake and what Scopes was on trial for. John Scopes was on trial for teaching Evolution in his 8th grade class. This trial was the first trial ever to be broadcast on the radio because of how controversial it was. There was also a book written in 1955 called Inherit The Wind which we will be comparing to the actual trial.

Darwin's theory of evolution religion became such a flashpoint for controversy not because of its discussion amongst the scientific community but because of the cultural battleground of religion during the 1920s. During this time period, the dramatic shifts were taking place in the country’s religious landscape. The major American Protestant denominations gradually split into two camps: modernist, or theologically liberal Protestantism; and evangelical, or otherwise theologically conservative, Protestantism. The American Protestant schism was caused by a number of important developments taking place at the time. Modernist Protestants sought to integrate these new theories and ideas into their religious doctrine, while more conservative Protestants