John Scopes: The Battle Over America's Soul

Scopes: The Battle over America’s Soul The battle between science and nature seems to be one that is never ending. One of the times when this battle came to a head was in 1925 when a trial occurred over whether evolution was okay to be taught in school. In Tennessee, the practice was outlawed, but when a teacher in Dayton Ohio was coerced into using a textbook that contained evolution, the debate became one of major national attention. John Scopes, a twenty-four year old math and science teacher, were approached by George Rappleya and Fred Robinson. The American Civil Liberties Union was willing to cover the costs for any teacher willing to violate the Butler Act, the law in Tennessee which outlawed the practice of teaching evolution in schools. Rappleya and Robinson wanted Scopes to break the law both in protest and to put Dayton on the map of American media. After Scopes used a textbook that contained evolution, he was charged and his trial was set. Both sides of the case wanted to keep the trial solely focused on Scopes’ infraction, but two “celebrity” lawyers joined the prosecution and the defense, the situation changed. The prosecution was led by William Jennings Bryan, a man famous for a speech called “Cross of Gold” and lost …show more content…
It also raised more questions than it answered, many of which remain unanswered today. A lot of data has been collected since the Scopes trial, revealing how religious American people and how more educated people are less likely to oppose evolution/believe in creationism. Not only did the Scopes trial reveal just religious differences in America, but how these differences were caused by socioeconomic imbalances and differing education levels. When it comes down to it, the Scopes trial was really a battle between faith and cynicism. It helped to reveal majority-minority lines and the profound effect religion has over American