The Scopes Monkey Trial - 1116 Words

Ever since science began to explain the previously unexplainable, it has caused conflicts with religion. The Scopes â€Å"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 â€Å"Monkey† Trial revealed the ongoing conflict with†¦show more content†¦That May, the American Civil Liberties Union put an ad in the newspaper looking for a teacher to challenge the law. John Scopes was asked to volunteer, and he agreed. The trial involved attorneys William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow and lasted over a week, the courtroom constantly overflowing with people and the witness examinations including many heated debates. (Adams) The case, meant to decide if Scopes broke the law, diverged from its original intention as the witnesses began to speak about the constitutionality of the law, questioning the legitimacy of the Bible. One of the most well known of these examinations was the questioning of Bryan by Darrow about the book of Genesis. â€Å"After initially contending, ‘Everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there,’ Bryan finally conceded that the words of the Bible should not always be taken literally† (UMKC School of Law). The final decision stated that Scopes was guilty of breaking the law and was fined $100. While this was seen as a win for fundamentalists, it was not the end of the battle. â€Å"In retrospect†¦ Scopes forged a temporary break, not a full-scale retreat, in the fundamentalist assault on modernist thought† (Gillon 171). Starting with the Scopes Trial, many more cases have occurred concerning the teaching of evolution. â€Å"By 1928 every southern state except Virginia had debated or was considering legislation banning the teaching of evolution in theShow MoreRelatedThe Scopes Monkey Trial942 Words   |  4 Pagesunexplainable, it clashed with religion. Thus, in 1925, the Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial revealed the struggle of America’s culture between the forces of Traditionalism and Modernism. The mixture of religion and science caused one of the most famous debates in American history to occur because ideas were the main focus instead of an actual crime. The Scopes Trial opened the doors to the conflict between faith and science that made it the trial of the century.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dayton is a small beautiful Southern townRead MoreOutcome of The Scopes Monkey Trial Essay1562 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. Scopes but given the nickname â€Å"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. The interpretation of the case is just as popular, if not more, than the actual result of the case. The worldwide attention and media coverage the case received produced many opinions. Scholar’s opinions range from describing the case asRead MoreThe Film, Inherit The Wind, By The Scopes Monkey Trial1889 Words   |  8 PagesThis paper discusses how the film, Inherit The Wind, portrays the Scopes Monkey Trial. The film showed both sides of the argument fairly. It was conveying a message that a person should try to understand and respect each opinion when arguing their own side. Three evidentiary issues of the trial in the film will also be discussed. The three issues that are objected to in the film are an opinion question, hearsay, and relevance. The judge sustained all three objections, saying that they were inadmissibleRead MoreEssay on Science V. Religion: The Scopes Monkey Trial1397 Words   |  6 Pagescontradicted the Christian theory of Divine Creation as described in the Bible. This caused many religious fundamentalists to fight against it. They took their battle to the law books, and they were challenged by pro-evolution modernists in the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. The theory of Evolution was developed by Charles Darwin throughout his life and published in 1859 in a book called The Origin of Species. In brief, it states that all living things on earth evolved over time and that natural selectionRead MoreThe Scopes Monkey Trial And On Debating The Legality Of Teaching Evolution1037 Words   |  5 Pagesbeing debated as inappropriate to be taught in schools. Many people feel that it is important to learn about Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, but at the same time there are many who refuse to learn about it. In the Scopes Monkey Trial and in the movie Inherit the Wind a trial is going on debating the legality of teaching evolution. Though there are still issues that arise with teaching evolution it is currently accepted more than it is debated against. Evolution is a scientifically tested andRead MoreThemes Symbols: Inherit The Wind Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pagesand Symbols: Inherit the Wind As probably the best courtroom dramas of the twentieth century, Inherit the Wind is based on the famous, Scopes Monkey Trial. The play was printed virtually thirty years afterward and takes original authority in varying the true-life elements of the court case. The central conflict of the play is based on the Scopes Monkey Trial itself. Several themes are presented throughout the play, for example when Brady argues for religious values while Drummond argues for naturalRead More Religion Versus Science in The Scopes Trial1089 Words   |  4 Pages This trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925, and the central figure was a twenty five-year-old science teacher named John Scopes. Scopes was under the umbrella of advancing America, and the trial was dubbed The Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial. In 1925, John Scopes was encouraged to challenge the Butler Law. This law was passed in the state of Tennessee to bar teachings contrary to those in the Bible. Teachings from an evolutionary text, Scopes broke the law and drew theRead MoreAnalysis Of Clarence Darrow And Henry Millers Inherit The Wind951 Words   |  4 Pagesimpossible cases. In the play Inherit the wind and the real-life Scopes Monkey Trial, Darrow and Drummond were on the impossible side. The trials were evolution against religion. Darrow and Drummond both had to represent the side of evolution in a religious-biased town. In the play Inherit the Wind, the character, Henry Drummond, parallels his real-life counterpart, Clarence Darrow, through his beliefs, his contribution to the Scopes Monkey Trial, and his career. Both Drummond and Darrow had beliefs thatRead MoreCharles Darwins Theory Of Evolution1151 Words   |  5 PagesTennessee high school substitute teacher named John Scopes was accused of teaching Charles Darwin s theory of evolution to students. The theory of evolution was a hypothesis that species survived through natural selection, meaning the adaption of species evolving to better themselves to a changing and threatening environment and that man evolved from apes. His theory that Scopes taught was completely against the Butler law. Even though Scopes’ teaching of evolution violated the Butler Law, he shouldRead More Cultural Revolution Of The 1920s Essay745 Words   |  3 PagesThe 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 S copes trial received worldwide publicity. The press nicknamed it the Monkey Trial because, people believed that the theory of evolution meant that humans were descended from monkeys. Clarence Darrow was