The Scopes Monkey Trial: The Role Of Religion In Secular Education

McKinley was mainly followed by businessmen, professionals, and skilled workers. Bryan, who became famous after his ‘Cross of Gold’ speech at the Democratic Convention, was representing the Democrats, and also the Populist voters. He believed in silver coinage, and believed that the common working man was limited by rich men. Bryan campaigned in a way that was never seen before as he traveled thousands of miles and delivered hundreds of speeches. McKinley was famous for his speeches on his front porch.

They also explore Marshall’s Harvard Law Review in 1987. The author also examines and reflects Marshall’s opinions as a justice in the U.S. Supreme Court hearing Payne v. Tennessee. The author also reviews Marshalls court briefing in the case Brown v. Board of Education. Hemingway, Anna, et. al.

The scopes monkey trial was responsible for bringing a huge amount of attention to the issue and ultimately brought religious freedom to tennessee and many other states who also passed the law. `Scopes willingly broke this law to spark debate over

Since the 1900s, schools began teaching evolution in science classes. In 1925 though, John Scopes was found guilty of violating a Tennessee State law that banned the teaching of Darwin’s theory for teaching evolution in his classes, because it denied the word of the Bible. Although William Jennings Bryan was a key witness for the prosecution, the conflict between traditional and modern culture resulted in the indictment and conviction of Scopes. Laws of against the teaching of evolution remained but were rarely enforced. The conflict illustrated the impasse between traditional, rural Americans and modern, urban

However, fundamentalists disagreed. They took every word of the bible as true and blamed liberal views of modernists for a “decline in morals”. Both of these ideas were present during the Scopes Trials. In 1925, a Tennessee biology teacher, John Scopes, was arrested for illegally teaching the concept of evolution

A student, Brandon, was denied admission into a radiation therapy program because when asked about what the most important thing in his life was, he stated, “My God.” According to the article, the program director, Dr. Dougherty, told Brandon, “I understand that religion is a major part of your life…however, this field is not the place for religion…” A similar thing happened to another student, Dustin, who replied to a question asked by Dr. Dougherty about the guiding principle in his life with, “My Faith” (Clark). The university backed the professor and stated, students would be better off to “have a concrete reason for wanting to do undertake training at hand than to say only that God directed one to do it” (Clark). Both of these cases are in federal court with the American Center for Law and Justice stating, “This college’s anti-Christian discrimination in not only unconscionable, it’s unconstitutional.”

The Scopes Trial John Scopes, a high school biology teacher, who found himself at the center of one of the 20th century’s most famous life-changing court hearings; The Scopes Trial. It was also known as the Monkey Trial, where biology teacher John Scopes was prosecuted for teaching evolution in a public school located in Tennessee (Kemper). Prior to the trial, there was a anti-evolution law that was passed making Scopes actions illegal, this was known as The Butler Act. As a matter of fact, when Scopes went against this law it was the first step in moving towards modernism. As well as, causing America to move away from traditional values.

The trial was symbolic, more than just a conviction" (Media 1). John Scopes overcame the fact that, even though he broke the law he still made a difference in the world's education. He also overcame people's judgments by standing up for what he believed to be right whether he actually taught evolution in the first place. Scopes even wrote a book all about his life including the "Monkey Trial" called Center of the Storm (Editors 2). Scopes wasn't sure how to explain his thoughts about the trial situation, but in a speech of William Jennings Bryan illustrated what he felt.

In James Madison’s address to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, “Memorial and Remonstrance”, he speaks about his opposition to a Bill which would provide provisions for teachers of Christian faith. He argues that such a Bill is an abuse of legislative powers, and he is bound by duty to prove why. Madison starts off by pointing out how religion is a personal freedom given to every man and it should not be controlled in any way by a governing body.

William Jennings Bryan was a man that strongly believed in his faith and made sure to use it throughout his life and legacy. “Only Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson had a greater impact on politics and political culture during the era of reform that began in the mid-1890s and lasted until the early 1920s”. This thesis begins the book and begins William Jennings Bryan’s legacy in the United States. Even though he ran for presidency three times he still gained popularity among the country. He was famous for his radical ideas and his eloquent speeches.

The issue in this case was whether school-sponsored nondenominational prayer in public schools violates the Establishment clause of the first amendment (Facts and Case Summary - Engel v. Vitale, n.d.). This case dealt with a New York state law that had required public schools to open each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and a nondenominational prayer in which the students recognized their dependence upon God (Facts and Case Summary - Engel v. Vitale, n.d.). This law had also allowed students to absent themselves from this activity if they found that it was objectionable. There was a parent that sued the school on behalf of their child. Their argument was that the law violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, as made applicable

Over the course of American history, various court cases have significantly impacted the countries future. Two court cases that greatly shaped the future of America are the Scopes trial, by determining boundaries between evolution and the bible, and the Plessy versus Ferguson trial, by affecting racial discrimination towards blacks. The Scopes trial shaped the future of America by examining what public schools have a right to teach, and specifically debating the boundaries between education and religion. After World War I, a religious belief in the priority of the Bible over all human knowledge became popular in society, while Darwin’s theory of evolution was seen as a threat.

The Scopes Trial took place in Tennessee, and the defendants name was John T. Scopes. He challenged the law for the American Civil Liberties Union, and so he taught evolution in the classroom. The trial was broadcast throughout the entire nation, to people curious about evolution, and it was the first trial to be broadcasted. The battle between the prosecuting attorney and defense attorney was great, as William Jennings Bryan was questioned in detail by defense attorney Clarence Darrow.

Engel v. Vitale: Prayer in the Public Schools is a book written by Julia C. Loren. Loren’s main purpose for writing this book is to inform us about the history of the Engel v. Vitale trial, an important trial which determined that prayer was not acceptable in the public schools quote as the book says the “In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down one of its most controversial decisions of the twentieth century.” In this book, Loren was not bias towards either Engel’s or Vitale’s side of the case as she did not appear to be very fond of one particular side and gave information regarding both sides of the case. With that being said, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history or even the Engel v. Vitale case itself because the author was very straightforward in telling about both sides of the case without leaving anything out. Engel v. Vitale:

The trial was more focused on the Butler Act than it was on defending Scopes. Darrow called his first scientist to the stand but the judge did not allow it because it was seen as opinion whether it was from an expert or not. It seemed the trial was over but it was not. The trial proceeded when Bryan was called to the stand. Darrow questioned Bryan hard on the bible and his beliefs.