The Scopes Trial One Of The Best American History

The Scopes Trial is one of the best in American history because it symbolizes the conflict between science and theology, faith and reason, individual liberty, and majority rule. This trial was to decide not only the fate of an evolution-teacher, but also to decide if traditionalists or modernists would rule American culture. An object of intense publicity, the trial was seen as a clash between urban sophistication and rural fundamentalism. On January 20, 1925, a Tennessee state senator named John A. Shelton proposed a bill to make it a felony, or a criminal act, to teach evolution in the state’s public schools. Fundamentalists had been supporting and pushing the passage of laws such as this, because the teaching of evolution and Darwinism contradicts the religious beliefs of creation in Christianity. Popular evangelist, Billy Sunday, undertook an eighteen-day crusade in Memphis in support of the prospective bill. Night after night, Sunday’s audiences grew until more than two-hundred thousand people heard him preach against the evils of evolution. The bill, known as the Butler Act, was officially passed on March 21, 1925, just 3 months after its proposal. Just as state legislators suspected, the ink had hardly dried on the Butler Act before its first challenger emerged. George Rappleyea, a modernist methodist who was against the new law against the teaching of evolution, urged people to rebel against the law in order to generate publicity for the city of Dayton. JohnShow MoreRelatedThe Scopes Trial And Its Effects On The American Education System1719 Words   |  7 PagesThe 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 fundamentalism and modernism conversion during the Scopes Trial had an extreme impact on theRead MoreThe Controversy Between Science And Religion1377 Words   |  6 PagesTennessee Scopes trial, or Monkey Trial, of 1925. The trial was over a Tennessee law that banned teaching evol ution in public schools. The American Civil Liberties Union protested the law with teacher, John Scopes, who agreed to help. Thetrial of the century brought together two famous political enemies, William Jennings Bryan, who led the anti-evolution crusade, and Clarence Darrow, who was known as the best criminal defense lawyer and evolution supporter. The author presents the history of controversyRead MoreThe 1920s and the Foundations of Today Essay examples1578 Words   |  7 Pagesas supervisor of the naval oil reserve lands for millions of dollars, resulted in a loss of faith in the government. Buying items on credit was a new feature of the 1920s. Although this did not seem like a big deal at the time, it turned out to be one of the leading causes to the start of the Great Depression, another of the decade’s biggest failures. The 1920s was the first decades to have a nickname, called either, â€Å"The Roaring Twenties,† or â€Å"The Jazz Age.† This demons trated the wealth, prosperityRead MoreThe Scopes Trial And Its Impact On The American Education System1894 Words   |  8 Pages 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 significantRead MoreComparing and Contrasting the Careers, Views and Accomplishments of William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson1354 Words   |  6 Pagesand Contrasting the Careers, Views and Accomplishments of William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson Two very influential men, Thomas Woodrow Wilson, born 1856, and William Jennings Bryan, born 1860 came onto the scene at one of the most critical points in American history. Thomas Woodrow Wilson was what you would call a late bloomer, yet in his later years that late bloom turned out to be a remarkable blossom. In other words, the impact he had on human society was colossal. William JenningsRead MoreAn Examination of the Modernization in the American Society in Marianne Wiggins ´ Evidence of Things Unseen1198 Words   |  5 PagesUnseen by Marianne Wiggins identifies several ways in which the American Society modernized during the interwar period, the time period between World War 1 and World War 2. To be considered modern a country had to become industrialized. Industrialism is a way of life that encompasses profound economic, social, political, and cultural changes. (Modernization) America made three profound social changes which modernized the nation. 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The author sets the scene in the booming city of Detroit, a place many blacks ventured to when trying to escape the crueltyRead MoreHumans s Views On The Evolution Of The World And The Life That Inhabits It1869 Words   |  8 Pages Americans Resistance to the Fact of Evolution Michael Nelson Dr. Baldwin REL2121 3 / 22 / 2016 THESIS: Humans who believe in creationism are usually resistant to the views of scientists on the development of the world and the life that inhabits it, but their views continue to be challenged by the empirical evidence of biology and science. This bringing attention to the question, will resistance toward evolution ever let up? OUTLINE: I. Introduction II. CreationismRead MoreCreation: Scientifically Proven? Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pagesare we made so specific in this random seeming universe? A question one many consider of which nature will answer with clues. We will use critical thinking and the will for knowledge to understand who created us. Although atheist will try to make claims of pessimistic views that are proved false in reasoning, we can find creation reliable because evolution is flawed, scientific discoveries point to creation, and the action of one thinking is the evidence of creation and the founding of it throughRead MoreHow Vietnam War Affected America1450 Words   |  6 Pagessupremely unique conflict in the annals of American military history. Faced with this type of unique enemy and terrain, the American Armed Forces undoubtedly had to evolve and adapt their tactics accordingly. One element that is particularly extraordinary and exclusive to the Vietnam War is the development of highly organized scout-snipe r training. Prior to the Vietnam War, the United States had zero trained snipers. By the time the War had ended, trained American snipers had killed more than 13,000 enemy