Scopes Monkey Trial

1920s Fundamentalism

A set of religious beliefs including traditional Christian ideas about Jesus Christ, the belief that the Bible was inspired by God and does not contain contradictions or errors, and is literally true

Rise of Fundamentalism

• Tensions over theories found in Darwinism began following the Civil War.

•  Modernists attempted to update Christianity to match their view of science. They denied biblical miracles and argued that God manifests himself through the social evolution of society.

Scopes Monkey Trial

• Symbolizes the conflict between science and theology, faith and reason, individual liberty and majority rule.

• The clash between urban sophistication and rural fundamentalism.

• In 1925, John Scopes, a schoolteacher, was put on trial in Dayton TN for violating state law that forbid the teaching of evolution

• Thousands of people swelled the town of a thousand. For 12 days in July, 1925, 100 reporters sent dispatches.

Multiple Choice

Why was John Scopes put on trial?

• Rejecting religion completely

• Teaching evolutionary theory

• Teaching about God

Scopes Trial

• William Jennings Bryan, three time Democratic presidential nominee, was the lawyer for the prosecution.

• Clarence Darrow was the defending lawyer for Scopes

Scopes Trial

The trial judge had prohibited the defense from using scientists as witnesses. So, on the trial's seventh day, the defense team called Bryan to testify as an expert on the Bible. Darrow subjected Bryan to a withering cross-examination. He got Bryan to say that Creation was not completed in a week, but over a period of time that "might have continued for millions of years."

The Result

Scopes was convicted and fined $100. However, the conviction was thrown out on a technicality by the Tennessee Supreme Court: that the judge, and not the jury, had determined the $100 fine. In 1967, the Supreme Court struck down Tennessee's anti-evolution law for violating the Constitution's prohibition against the establishment of religion.

Multiple Choice

What was the verdict

• Scopes lost and was fined

• Scopes won

Conclusions

The Scopes trial resulted in two enduring conclusions: that legislatures should not restrain the freedom of scientific inquiry, and that society should respect academic freedom.

Poll

Should evolution be taught in schools?

• Yes

• No