FUNDAMENTALISM and the Scopes Trial
Fundamentalist Protesters as they protest the place of Darwinism and evolution in the high school.
The Scopes Trial as it had undergone.
In the 1920s many Americans began to think that Christianity was losing influence. This caused the political ideology of fundamentalism to take over a significant portion of public and governmental proceedings, especially in rural areas. Fundamentalism emphasized Protestant-based teachings and the literal interpretation of the Bible. During this time fundamentalism and modernism clashed through a major Supreme Court case, the Scopes Trial of 1925. This trial was sparked by the actions of high school teacher John Scopes. Scopes violated the Butler Act. This act promoted Creationism and disallowed the teaching of subjects going against the Bible. John Scopes, violated the Butler Act by teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution and was arrested shortly thereafter. The issue was soon brought to court, and promptly dubbed the “Monkey Trial,” due to Darwin’s claim that humans had descended from monkeys. The most celebrated defense attorney in America, Clarence Darrow, defended Scopes during his trial. Scopes ended up being found guilty and charged $100. As today’s more positive view of evolution might indicate “while the Scopes Trial showcased a major cultural and religious division, it did not heal the conflict or answer its central question.” (United States History: Modern America) Unfortunately, the evolution controversy still exists even today.