John Scopes
In the 1920s, America was divided between urban and rural
citizens. Rapid urbanization had occurred after the war, and the country that
was once leading during the agricultural era was now the world’s leading
industrial manufacturer. This transformation created diversity in the Americas,
and split the urban and rural people. In Urban America, a formal education was
very important, and the amount of high school graduates increased in the 1920s.
In Rural America, on the other hand, a formal education was not as important as
farming. Also, in Urban America, modernism, or the emphasis of science, was
favored over religion. However, in Rural America, they had a more traditional
religious view of the world. These different religious views were causing a
conflict in the Americas. Fundamentalism, or the belief in the basic truths of
one’s religion, played a role in this conflict. The fundamentalists in Rural
America believed that every word in the Bible was the literal truth. The
Americas were already split between fundamentalism and modernism, and then
there was Darwin’s Theory. Charles Darwin came up with the theory of evolution
that went against the Holy Bible. In Tennessee it became illegal to teach
Darwin’s Theory in public schools. John Scopes, a biology teacher in Tennessee
purposely violated this law and taught the theory in his classroom and was
immediately arrested. His trial, known of the Scopes Trial of 1925, drew
nationwide attention. In this trial was Clarence Darrow who defended Scopes,
while William Jennings Bryan went against him. Scopes was found guilty and
charged $100. This trial gave the fundamentalists a negative look, and
fundamentalist suffered a period of decline.
citizens. Rapid urbanization had occurred after the war, and the country that
was once leading during the agricultural era was now the world’s leading
industrial manufacturer. This transformation created diversity in the Americas,
and split the urban and rural people. In Urban America, a formal education was
very important, and the amount of high school graduates increased in the 1920s.
In Rural America, on the other hand, a formal education was not as important as
farming. Also, in Urban America, modernism, or the emphasis of science, was
favored over religion. However, in Rural America, they had a more traditional
religious view of the world. These different religious views were causing a
conflict in the Americas. Fundamentalism, or the belief in the basic truths of
one’s religion, played a role in this conflict. The fundamentalists in Rural
America believed that every word in the Bible was the literal truth. The
Americas were already split between fundamentalism and modernism, and then
there was Darwin’s Theory. Charles Darwin came up with the theory of evolution
that went against the Holy Bible. In Tennessee it became illegal to teach
Darwin’s Theory in public schools. John Scopes, a biology teacher in Tennessee
purposely violated this law and taught the theory in his classroom and was
immediately arrested. His trial, known of the Scopes Trial of 1925, drew
nationwide attention. In this trial was Clarence Darrow who defended Scopes,
while William Jennings Bryan went against him. Scopes was found guilty and
charged $100. This trial gave the fundamentalists a negative look, and
fundamentalist suffered a period of decline.