The following websites, from government, academic and nonprofit organizations, have been evaluated for authority, accuracy, content and currency. National History Day. Scopes, John Thomas -- Trials, litigation, etc. Evolution -- Study and teaching -- Law and legislation -- United States. Evolution Biology -- Study and teaching -- Law and legislation -- Tennessee. Popular lawyers like William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow became part of the prosecution and defense teams respectively.
In the end John Thomas Scopes was found guilty of violating the Butler Act and it will take a few more decades before the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. In a nutshell, this theory tried to explain the science behind human existence.
Darwin, after spending a great deal of time studying animals in the wild, began to develop a theory stating that animals adapt to the environment.
The idea that only the strong will survive was modified into something more scientific. Darwin proposed that living things not only struggle to survive or compete with each other to survive, but their bodies also responded to the need for survival in such a way that body parts develop to stay on top of the food chain. In other words, Darwin theorized that fish develop into birds to stay competitive. It does not require a great scientific mind to realize that there are many loopholes in this theory.
For one there is no explanation as to why a perfectly capable fish species, one that has thoroughly adapted itself to water would want to grow feathers and fly. What is more astonishing is the idea that fishes like a well-adapted tuna or salmon would try to brave a whole new world like jungles and desserts.
It does not make sense. But Darwin discovered that birds have scale-like characteristics on their feet and so he theorized that they came from fish. There can be another explanation as to why fish and birds have similar characteristics but it must also be pointed out that they are very much different.
There is a major gap between these two species; there is a missing link in the so-called evolutionary process, a link that remains to be missing and this is the reason why evolution through natural selection is still a theory and not yet scientific fact. European countries as well as the United States experienced a radical transformation after the Renaissance and the Age of Industrialization; there was a clamor to place science on the same pedestal as religion.
For many people, science is something that can be verified and hence more reliable than religion. The adherents of Darwinism — especially those who desire a scientific explanation to human existence — did not waste time in theorizing that since monkeys are similar to humans then it follows that they are the ancestors of humans.
They have human-like hands as opposed to claws and hoofs. Monkeys also display a relatively higher level of intelligence as compared to rodents, cockroaches and frogs for instance. This can be attributed to their ability to grasp things as well as the ability to move like humans thereby giving them not only freedom of movement but also the ability to manipulate their physical environment to a greater degree than other animals.
All of these are said in relative terms because monkeys, no matter how hard they will train could never play baseball or become a ballerina. There are obvious difficulties with the claim that humans descended from monkeys. First of all, monkeys are only similar to humans as long as there is a bias towards this belief. A more critical assessment of the link between humans and monkeys makes it very difficult to say that they are similar beyond the fact that monkeys can grasp objects.
The ability of monkeys to socialize is not unique to this species and so is their ability to solve problems. Monkeys are led by instincts while humans can create something as complex as the U. Monkey walk using their hands and feet and it can also be argued that their human-like hands is not a prelude to their evolution to a higher form but it is simply a tool to grasp branches since monkey prefer to dwell in heavily forested areas as opposed to plains.
While many would love to develop a scientific explanation for human existence, the majority of Americans still believe in the story of creation, the Biblical explanation for human existence. At the heart of this belief is belief in a Creator-God. American Christians are on the frontlines when it comes to defending this idea in the United States.
Representative John Washington Butler of Macon County was a member of the Tennessee General Assembly and he was a firm believer that God created everything on earth and beyond; and together with like-minded men he introduced a bill that became popularly known as the Butler Act.
Scopes et al wanted to continue teaching evolution and based on the preceding discussion journalists who cover the trial label it as the Scopes Monkey Trial. Aside from the increasing awareness of science, American Christians are divided into two spheres — the conservatives and the liberals. The group asked if high school science teacher John Scopes would admit to teaching evolution for the purposes of prosecution. It was announced to newspapers the next day that Scopes had been charged with violating the Butler Act, and the town wired the ACLU to procure its services.
The Tennessee press roundly criticized the town, accusing it of staging a trial for publicity. Three-time presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan volunteered to present for the prosecution.
The politician was already well-known as an anti-evolution activist, almost single-handedly creating the national controversy over the teaching of evolution and making his name inseparable from the issue.
Author H. Wells was approached early on to present the case for evolution, but he turned down the offer. Clarence Darrow — a famous attorney who had recently acted for the defense in the notorious Leopold and Loeb murder trial — found out about the Scopes trial through journalist H. Mencken , who suggested Darrow should defend Scopes. Darrow and Bryan already had a history of butting heads over evolution and the concept of taking the Bible literally, sparring in the press and public debates.
It was the only time in his career he offered to give free legal aid. Bryan and Darrow set the tone by immediately attacking each other in the press. The ACLU attempted to remove Darrow from the case, fearing they would lose control, but none of these efforts worked. The grand jury met on May 9, In preparation, Scopes recruited and coached students to testify against him.
Three of the seven students attending were called to testify, each showing a sketchy understanding of evolution. The case was pushed forward and a trial set for July Bryan arrived in Dayton three days before the trial, stepping off a train to the spectacle of half the town greeting him. He posed for photo opportunities and gave two public speeches, stating his intention to not only defend the anti-evolution law but to use the trial to debunk evolution entirely.
The trial day started with crowds pouring into the courthouse two hours before it was scheduled to begin, filling up the room and causing onlookers to spill into the hallways. There was applause when Bryan entered the court and further when he and Darrow shook hands.
The trial began — somewhat ironically — with a lengthy prayer. Outside the courthouse a circus-like atmosphere reigned, with barbecues, concessions and carnival games, though that died down as the trial was adjourned for the weekend, over which Bryan and Darrow sparred through the press and tensions mounted. It was to a packed courthouse on Monday that arguments began by the defense working to establish the scientific validity of evolution, while the prosecution focused on the Butler Act as an education standard for Tennessee citizens, citing precedents.
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