Scopes Monkey Trial

The twentieth century Scopes trial may have started out as a simple debate between evolutionists and creationists, but quickly escalated to a debate of historic proportions. The 1920s were times of change in the United States, from women getting the right to vote to prohibition to changes in education, such as the Butler Act, which created unease and animosity throughout the country. The Butler Act of 1925 prohibited the teaching of evolution and any other theories that deny the story of the divine creation of man as taught in the Bible in all Universities and public schools in Tennessee. John Scopes, a high-school biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee decided to test this law. He was found guilty of teaching evolution to his high-school

The 1920’s was a time of prosperity and change in the United States, but with change comes disagreements. One of the largest debates during this time period, and still today, was the debate between science and religion. Many people were Christians in America during this time and they believed that the story of how God created the Earth should be taught in public schools. These people were called “fundamentalists.” They believed nothing could compare to or be as powerful as God’s word. The other side to this debate were the Modernists, or the ones who believed in science rather than religion. Modernists wanted to teach the theory of evolution in public schools instead of the Creation story the Fundamentalists believed in (“United States in History”). All of these different opinions led to one of the most famous trials known as the Scopes v. State of Tennessee trial. John Scopes was a substitute teacher in Tennessee who decided to teach the theory of evolution to a science class. Scopes was accused of violating the Butler Act, which states that teaching anything that

In the “Monkey Trial” William Jennings Bryan spoke as the leader of the Christian fundamentalist, what him and his followers wanted to do was for the people and court to find out how unfair it was for something that they perceived as “materialistic and anti-religious be taught in the very same classrooms from which all religious instruction had been banned” (Thomas, 2009 p. 25). This situation created a lot of debates among the people. Many things changed in the American public schools that arise because of the evolution theory and religion.

The Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. Scopes but given the nickname “The Monkey Trial”, has been credited as starting the popular legal dispute between evolution and creationism in the court, and its impact in the 20’s was immeasurable.

Ever since science began to explain the previously unexplainable, it has caused conflicts with religion. The Scopes “Monkey” Trial of Dayton, Tennessee was one of the most talked about trials in history because it was one of the first and most publicized times that this conflict occurred. The trial showed the schism between the faithful fundamentalists and the newly formed group of evolutionists. Although the jury was reminded that they only had to decide if Scopes had broken the law, the verdict was seen as much more than that. For one of the first times in history, it seemed as if the jury had to choose either religion or evolution. For the time being, there could not be both. The Scopes “Monkey” Trial revealed the ongoing conflict with

The Scopes Trial Project... Evolution vs. Creationism John Scopes: He was a teacher in Tennessee who went on trial for teaching evolution in his classroom. This is a big deal because at this time the were many religious people. He saw this case as a chance to stand up for academic freedom. After days on the trial, the jury only took a few minutes to decide that Scopes was guilty. Later on, he conviction was overturned.

John Scopes was born on August 3, 1900, in Paducah, Kentucky. In 1924 he started to teach at Rhea County Central High School in Dayton, Tennessee. At that time there was a national debate about whether evolution should be taught in schools. It was then later decided that evolution would not be taught in publicly funded schools. The American Civil Liberties Union thought differently and wanted to challenge the Butler Act. John Scopes volunteered to be tried under this new law. He admitted to using a textbook that contained evolution while serving as a substitute biology teacher. He wanted to stand up for academic freedom. He once said, “What goes on in the classroom is up to the student and the teacher. Once you introduce the power of the state telling what you can and cannot do you’ve become involved in propaganda.” John Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later overturned.

For most people of the modern age, a clear distinction exists between the truth as professed by religious belief, and the truth as professed by scientific observation. While there are many people who are able to hold scientific as well as religious views, they tend to hold one or the other as being supreme. Therefore, a religious person may ascribe themselves to certain scientific theories, but they will always fall back on their religious teachings when they seek the ultimate truth, and vice versa for a person with a strong trust in the sciences. For most of the early history of humans, religion and science mingled freely with one another, and at times even lent evidence to support each other as being true. However, this all changed

The Scopes trial, writes Edward Larson, to most Americans embodies “the timeless debate over science and religion.” (265) Written by historians, judges, and playwrights, the history of the Scopes trial has caused Americans to perceive “the relationship between science and religion in . . . simple terms: either Darwin or the Bible was true.” (265) The road to the trial began when Tennessee passed the Butler Act in 1925 banning the teaching of evolution in secondary schools. It was only a matter of time before a young biology teacher, John T. Scopes, prompted by the ACLU tested the law. Spectators and newspapermen came from allover to witness

In 1925, biology teacher John Scopes was arrested for breaking the Butler Law that prohibits the teachings of evolution due to its contradiction of the teachings of the Bible. William Jennings Bryan, a well-known advocate was invited to prosecute in the famous “Scopes Monkey Trial”. In the trial, William Jennings Bryan, and a Chicago attorney named Clarence Darrow, argued whether Scopes defied the law and taught a doctrine that went against the beliefs of Bryan and many citizens during this time.

The evolution that Darwin’s theories had brought in science world, also gain religious backlash. Soon, many states legislature passed the anti-evolution bills, making it illegal to teach in public school and colleges. The twelve-day trial was the strongest example of war against fundamentalist and modernist. John T. Scopes, substitute science teacher was arrested for teaching evolution theory. The Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee had gain all sorts of publicity across the world. Massive publicity had also brought people from all around the world in court. His attorney argued that, “Scopes is not on trial. Civilization is on trial”. Meanwhile, Bryan said it as “Contest between evolution and Christianity, a dual to the death”’. After a long

The 1920's were times of cultural revolution. The times were changing in many different ways. Whenever the times change, there is a clash between the "old" and the "new" generations. The 1920's were no exception. In Dayton, Tennessee, 1925, a high school biology teacher was arrested. He was arrested because he taught the theory of evolution. The teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of having violated the Butler Act. This was a Tennessee law that forbade the teaching of the theory of evolution in public schools. The Tennessee legislature felt that teaching evolution was wrong because it contradicted the creation theory of the Bible. The Scopes trial received worldwide publicity. The press nicknamed it the Monkey Trial

Throughout United States history, Americans have always remain separated on certain issues. Edward Larson’s work Summer for the Gods exemplifies just how issues split the population. Larson uses the Scopes Trial of 1925 to demonstrate to the rivalry between modernists and traditionalists in the early 20th century. Charles Dawson discovered fossilized human bones known as the “Piltdown skull” and bridged a gap in history that seemed to confirm Darwin’s theory of evolution. "Darwin 's account of random variations, coupled with his survival-of-the-fittest selection process, posed a critical problem for many Christians who retained a teleological view of nature.” (Larson, 17) This threat to Christian spirituality sparked an anti-evolution movement in an attempt to revoke the teachings of evolution in public school systems. The Tennessee House of Representatives soon passed a statute making it illegal for any public school official to teach any theory that rejected the divine creation of man as taught in the Bible. The Scopes Trial would prove to be more than an argument between science and religion and the removal of textbook content. It was individual rights versus the right of majority rule, freedom of speech versus censorship, and evolution versus creationism.

The controversy over Creationism and Evolution is a widely debated topic, especially when it comes to what is being taught in the biology classrooms in public schools today. It may be hard to imagine, but just over 100 years ago the curriculum and beliefs would have looked dramatically different. One central court case that created a spark of bringing evolution to public schools was the infamous Scopes trial of 1925 in which science teacher John Scopes challenged Tennessee state law and taught evolution in his high school science class. Tennessee state legislature had passed a bill, known as the Butler Act just months before, banning the teaching of evolution. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) represented Scopes after his arrest in a case that riveted public attention. Although at trial Scopes was ultimately found guilty, the Butler Act was no longer enforced and laws prohibiting evolution being taught in the classroom continually were defeated over the course of the next two years. In 1968, the ACLU went to the Supreme Court on behalf of Susan Epperson to fight against the ban on teaching evolution in Arkansas. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the ban as unconstitutional as the First Amendment under the Establishment clause does not allow teachings to tailor to certain religions (“State of Tennessee V. Scopes,” n.d.).

The first relationship between science and religion in conflict. Science believes in the constant growth of knowledge whereas religion holds on to ancient knowledge. New knowledge gained through experiments and innovations is what enables science to continue building on its existent knowledge. This brings about a situation whereby science can question common assumptions, even within the religion. This case was witnessed in the 17th century when Galileo came up with new inventions which almost got him in trouble with the church. What Galileo was trying to prove was not accepted by the Christian religion which was dominant in Italy. The fact that science allows for innovation and constant quest to challenge existent knowledge is not a thing that is taken easily in religion, this has brought some scholars to believe that science and religion have been in a constant methodological, factual and philosophical conflict. Thus, Galileo was a symbol of conflict between catholic church and modern science. Another evidence of conflicting relationship between the two in 19th century by Charles Darwin (Theory of evolution of species). He says the lively things on earth got here over a period of years (natural selection). From beginning Christians weren’t troubled by Darwin, say God created all sciences. There were also biblically literalistic Christians who says Darwin is wrong, they say God created everything that exists. In 20th