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John Thomas Scopes Monkey Trial

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Recommended: Darwinism and creationism

John Thomas Scopes, a teacher in Dayton Tennessee, with a hopeful mind in teaching children about Charles Darwin. Scopes was never a full time teacher, he was an occasional substitute and the high school’s football coach.
In Tennessee, they have a law where it is illegal to teach children about Charles Darwin and evolution. This is called the Butler Act. Scopes's involvement in the so-called Scopes Monkey Trial came about after the American Civil Liberties Union announced that it would finance a test case challenging the constitutionality of the Butler Act if they could find a Tennessee teacher who was willing to act as a defendant. John Thomas Scopes was this defendant. The prosecutor for the trial pointed out that while the Butler Act prohibited
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In the 1920’s in Dayton, Tennessee, a teacher named John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution out of a state approved textbook, civic biology. He did this out of a state approved textbook that he had bought at a drugstore in town. The novel Monkey Town, is about the Scopes trials in Dayton, Tennessee where a teacher was arrested for teaching evolution and the novel portrays the moral fallouts during and afterwards. In the novel, Monkey Town by Ronald Kidd, the Scopes trial is reflected accurately as demonstrated by the way the author describes the time period, Places and people related to the trial.

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The American Civil Liberties Union, along with the teacher, John Scopes (Bertram Cates), wanted to challenge the law in Tennessee that banned the teaching of evolution in public schools. The trial got the attention of the famous politician, William Jennings Bryan (Matthew Harrison Brady), and also got the attention of Clarence Darrow (Henry Drummond), who was considered to be the best criminal defense lawyer of his time. Brady and Darrow faced off in the “Monkey Trial”, also considered the “Trial of the Century”, in which the law was

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“This man wishes to be accorded the same privilege as a sponge! He wishes to think!” (Lawrence & Lee, 1955, p. 94). This quote from Inherit the Wind represents the heart of the controversy known as the Scopes Trial in 1925. This historical court proceeding still affects us today, yet few know much about it.

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WOW! To Kill A Mockingbird has been a popular book for many years. The reason for this is it brings out a main theme which was common back then and still happens now. The theme of racism is seen in the book mainly at Tom Robinson's trial. The Ewell family represents the pride that whites had for innocent blacks.

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Urban vs Rural Scopes Trial The 1920’s can be characterized as a clash between the traditional and the modern. One of the biggest moments where urban vs rural was tested was in the scopes trial or “monkey trial”. The scopes trial involved a substitute teacher, John Scopes, who was accused of violating the Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach evolution in any state-funded school in Tennessee. This is where urban vs rural had huge conflict, this teacher who was considered modern for teaching his theory of humanity to a traditionalist school.

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On January 14, 1927, the Tennessee State Supreme Court in Nashville ruled to reverse the Monkey Trial ruling. There was a law in Tennessee at the time that stated only a decision made by the jury could impose a fine greater than fifty dollars upon the defendant. As the change was made on a technicality, the Butler Law had still not been ruled unconstitutional. The Scopes Monkey Trial made way for many more debates across America on the promotion of creation theories being taught in public

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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.

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Have you ever wondered what a court room means to most people? Well, to most it’s an equalizer for any man or woman present, but there is a flaw to this system. This flaw is bias, the amount of evidence, and witnesses. Today we will talk of whether or not Tom Robinson had received a constitutional trial. If you don’t know “To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee, is a telling of age story, about a girl nicknamed “Scout” growing up, while slowly unlocking the secrets of her home town and the secrets of life.

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His role in the trail was of great importance. The Scopes Monkey Trials, as told by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee in the play “Inherit the Wind” was told to show the means of the trial between evolutionists or people who believe in the idea of evolution and creationist people who believe god put all organisms on earth. In Inherit the wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the

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The Scopes Monkey trial was one the biggest and most influential court cases of all time. John Scopes was a public high school teacher in dayton tennessee who was arrested and tried for breaking the butlers law. Passed in 1925 it made teaching evolution in any schools and colleges in the state of Tennessee illegal. This was because evolution challenges the idea of creationism which was the popular religion in the tennessee. this was a huge problem because it was written in the constitution that you must separate church and state.

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His thoughts made him for who he was and was the cause of the trial. The Scopes Monkey Trial was when a teacher, Bertram Cates, teaches the theory of evolution illegally in a town of creationist. Bertram Cates wasn’t allowed to teach evolution because it was only a theory then. Henry Drummond was Bertram Cates lawyer, free of charge because Henry Drummond believed that everyone had the right to think. He believed that this was important because for people could be diverse.

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During his time Charles Darwin was opposed by many scientists who did not agree with his discoveries. For example, Virchow, the German doctor and writer, did not like it. He said, “The idea that man had descended from apes was an attack on society’s moral foundations.” (“Charles Darwin). He publicly expressed his view and said that teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution should not be allowed to be taught in schools in Germany.

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