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Scopes Trial

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The Scopes Trial, a Tennessee legal case involving the teaching of evolution in public schools, induced a pivotal point in American history. This world-famous trial symbolizes the conflict between science and theology, faith and reason, individual liberty, and majority rule. The preeminent purpose of the case was to decide not only the fate of an evolution theory teacher by the name of John Scopes, but also to decide if fundamentalists or modernists would rule American culture and education. An object of profound publicity, the trial was identified as a battle between urban modernism and rural fundamentalism.

On January 20, 1925, a Tennessee state senator, John A. Shelton, proposed a bill to make the teaching of evolution in the state’s …show more content…

More than two hundred newspaper reporters from all over the world had come to the small town of Dayton to witness the historical event take place; for the first time in history, a trial would be broadcast over the radio. (Johnson) The judge of the trial was John T. Raulston, a conservative Christian who craved publicity. The jury consisted of twelve men, the majority of them being farmers and church-goers. Superintendent White led off the prosecution’s list of witnesses with his testimony that John Scopes had admitted to teaching about evolution from Hunter’s Civic Biology textbook. Chief Prosecutor Tom Stewart then asked seven students in Scopes class a series of questions about his teachings. They testified that Scopes taught that man and all other mammals had evolved from one-celled organisms. Darrow cross-examined the students, asking freshman Howard Morgan, “Well did he tell you anything else that was wicked?”. Howard replied, “No, not that I can remember.” . After, drugstore owner Fred Robinson took the stand to testify as to Scopes’ statement that “Any teacher in the state who was teaching Hunter’s biology was violating the law.” The prosecution rested, John Scopes was fined $100 for his crime, and the trial adjourned for the weekend. During the break, William Jennings Bryan preached a sermon at Dayton Methodist Church and used the occasion to attack the defense strategy in the Scopes Case. (Larson) His biased sermon urged the congregation to stand against Scopes and his public defenders in the

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Also told the judge, the defense 's argument is not newly discovered evidence and the defense knew of this expert during trial. "There 's nothing new for counsel at the time of trial. As far as presentation at trial, the fact that is may have surprised defense counsel, I think they had time prior to trial to get their expert around. I think they were more so upset because we had the better expert," said Rider-Ulacco. Judge Peter Bradstreet denied the defense request for a new trial.

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(2) Background Information As well as the lawsuit filed by Alton Lemon, this incident involved two other cases that fell under the same issue, Earley v. DiCenso and Robinson v. DisCenso. Both conflicts involved a state law passed, through the Non- public Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968, by the state of Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. This act gave the government permission to fund religious based or parochial schools. Although the schools provided textbooks and instructional materials for secular subjects, a Pennsylvania instructor believed that this act violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” Lemon argued that that by providing this money

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Observe a Jury or Court Trial Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Author’s Note Observe a Jury or Court Trial This court case involves a serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, convicted of killing about 17 men between 1978 and 1991 (Jeffrey Dahmer - Full Trial - Serial Killer, 2012). The jury is composed of seven men and seven women who were to determine if Jeffrey Dahmer was guilty of the multiple murders. The jury begins by ordering for a three week sanity test to determine if Jeffrey Dahmer was sane when he committed the acts.

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At the time, certain events were taking place that allowed the rise of religious fundamentalism. Larson says, “These scientific developments helped set the stage in the early 1920s for a massive crusade by fundamentalists against teaching evolution in public schools, which culminated in the 1925 trial of John Scopes. ”13 Developments such as the increase of public schools, new fossil discoveries that strengthened the evolution argument, and the rise of religious fundamentalism all helped strengthen the case of anti-evolution advocates. These anti-evolution movements lead by religious leaders such as William Jennings Bryan argued that the teaching of evolution should be banned in public schools since it was the will of the majority, even if freedom of speech was compromised. The ACLU eventually advertised for a teacher to challenge the law that banned evolution.

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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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Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s play “Inherit the Wind” contains occurrences that are so outlandish it is hard to believe that the play was heavily based on an actual trial. Most of the play was fictionalized for entertainment’s sake but it still kept the main themes from the trial of The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes The most significant theme of the play is the importance of an individual being able to think freely and not worry about being discriminated and punished for his beliefs, which is displayed in the quote above The quote above is spoken from a broken man, a “sovereign schoolteacher” (Lawrence Lee 22) who chose to share his harmless ideals to a community but then was treated as if he were a “criminal” (Lawrence

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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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I moved to Dayton, Tennessee for an open physics and algebra teaching position as well as a football coach opening. I joined the staff of Rhea County Central High School in the fall of 1924 to teach physics,algebra and chemistry and also be a football coach. In March 1925, Gov. Austin Peay passed the Butler Act, which states that you can’t teach evolution, and you should be teaching the biblical study of creation. April 7th, I filled in for Biology

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Introduction. A Jury by Her Peers authored by Susan Glaspell narrates the investigative events that occur after the death of John Wright in his house. As neighbors and the Dickson County administration, themes of sisterhood and gender roles appear through the actions and hidden motives of the characters. The book, A Jury by Her Peers, expounds on the silent suffering of women and being perceived as unintelligent while providing justifications for covering up of John Wrights death.

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Stepping in ten minutes before the trial was scheduled to start, an immense air of intimidation enveloped around me. This was my first time in a courtroom (let alone a Supreme Court), and it really moved me in an interesting way. Walking right up to the front row, I joined my classmates and clumsily removed my notepad and pen to jot down personal anecdotes during the trial. Surely enough, the judges showed up at 9:01 AM and once we paid our respects and the trial was underway. To my understanding, Terry Ellerbee was condemned to a death sentence for first degree murder in the trial courts and this was his appeal.

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John Scopes left teaching and went to become a chemical engineer in the oil industry and died by 1970. Three years prior to Scopes death, the Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee’s Butler Act was a violation to the United States Constitution. For example, it violated the Constitution forbidding against the creation of religion. The Scopes Trial resulted in legislation not allowing a restrain on freedom for scientific inquiry and society's need to respect ”academic freedom” Moreover, the concept of evolution started to be allowed to be taught in classrooms all throughout the nation.

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This conflict was exemplified by the trial of John Scopes was a high school science teacher who was accused of violating Tennessee’s Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in

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Rhetorical Angliss Katha Pollitt (Original) “What’s the Matter with Creationism?” by Katha Pollitt, was written in response to a recent Gallup poll that showed 46 percent of respondents are creationists. Pollitt then proceeds to compare this poll to another poll conducted with college graduates that shows 46 percent of graduate students are also creationist as well. She then proceeds to blame the educational system for not teaching evolution to students correctly, she says: “Needless to say, this remarkable demonstration of educational failure attracts little attention from those who call for improving our schools”. Throughout her essay, she bashes the educational system and multiple religious groups for not convincing their students and children the undeniable truth of evolution.

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He was bitter and didn’t value any human life except his own. He thought the boy was guilty because the color of his skin. Juror number ten said “Most of them”

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In the 1930s, if a black man was on trial there was a ample chance he would be convicted even if evidence proved he was innocent. Throughout history humans being prejudice and bias have affected the lives of thousands of people; some ending with favorable outcomes while others weren’t so fortunate. Within the book To Kill a Mockingbird the readers learn that prejudice and bias people outnumber the understanding and kind. One decision or in this case twelve decisions decide the fate for an unfortunate man. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee reveals that people often follow their biases and prejudices rather than the truth.

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