Week #5 Movie Activity (Due Friday)

3. Where was the court case held? When?
The court case was held in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee during 1925 a short time after new legislation was passed that prohibited the teaching of evolution in any classroom in Tennessee.
5. What did the Butler Act state?
The Butler Act was new legislation in Tennessee that prohibited teachers in Tennessee from teaching the theories of evolution or any part of Darwinism in their classrooms. The Butler Act stated that it would be prohibited for teachers to do any teaching that denied the biblical account of man's origin. Meaning that if you didn't follow what the bible said about how man came to be you would be breaking the law. It also prevented teachers from teaching that man was essentially an animal in a sense.
6. Why did some citizens in this town want the trial to take place in their town?
Dayton, Tennessee was a really small town that was losing some of it's luster and needed badly some economic and social help. They needed to be recognized so people would come and visit and live there essentially to keep the town running and make more business for the town. The trial was actually concocted as sort of a publicity stunt in the first place. The town was told to accuse Scopes of breaking the law so that they would be able to get the trial started and have everyone involved to settle this matter once and for all as well as get Dayton on the map. They had no clue how big the trial actually was going to be but it did it's job of making Dayton famous and a historic place even to this day.
9. The two attorneys had differing ideas about what exactly was on trial, what did each attorney think was on trial?
William Jennings Brian was the lawyer for the prosecution and he made it very clear from the beginning that he liked the law the way that it was and saw evolution as something that could destroy faith and have serious societal repercussions. He was a fundamentalist and believed a lot of things that the bible said literally. He defended his beliefs throughout the trial and was the favorite amongst the Dayton residents. He believed that if evolution was an idea that caught on and was taught to children then social Darwinism would create massive discrimination and negative consequences in society. If people believed that they were created through natural selection they may then believe that nature is making them do bad things and that they should discourage breeding of the poor, insane and disabled to create a better society. This was his opposing view.
Clarence Darrow was the other key lawyer in this case and he was defending Scopes in the trial and was a great defender of the theory of evolution and Darwin's other theories. He fought that evolution could fit just fine into religion without destroying people's faith. He didn't want to stop people from believing in God, he just wanted people to understand what evolution was and embrace it as a partner to religion. Something that could fit into people's faith while still looking at scientific evidence and using the scientific process. He didn't believe in the theories of social Darwinism but thought that just because of social reprocussions it doesn't mean that thought shouldn't be taught. As one of the interviewees mentioned, if we hadn't allowed Darwinsim into the classroom we would have never found out that social Darwinism isn't the original thought in natural selection and that Darwin himself wasn't a proponent of social Darwinism.
10. At the beginning of the case, the crowd sided with which attorney?
At the beginning of the case the crowd overwhelmingly sided with Brians, the prosecution and were against evolution. Many of the people observing the case didn't know what evolution was and were keen to find out. They just knew that this famous lawyer (Brians) was saying that it was bad for their faith and that they shouldn't take any part of it. They critized Darrow for being the anti-christ and tried to shut him and his ideas down.
I think from a presentism perspective the trial might be considered barbaric and very unprofessional from a legal standpoint. I mean if you look at the judge it was easy to see that he could have been easily influenced by the church and his own beliefs. You could also see that the jury wasn't made up of anyone that hadn't already seen opinions or known about the trial before hand, that is why so many people wanted to be on the jury, because it was such a high profile case. You also had very little diversity in the jurors as far as their beliefs and morals. As the documentary said only one of them didn't attend church regularly, all the rest held christian beliefs.
I think you could also consider this trial a fair one just because the judge, after dismissing the testimony of experts on religion, made the case exclusively about the law (obviously Brian and Darrow had other plans). He was fighting the case of whether Scopes broke the law not nessecarily if the law was unconsitutional or not. Through all the testimony and fighting that went on in the court room the judge made sure that the topic was consistant and that the case was the only thing taht was tried, not the validity of the theory of evolution.

1. What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
The trial was one that stood for many things. First, it was about the age old question of whether evolution or creationism was the answer to the question of were man came from. It was also about the right of free thought and speech. These had been tried for those in Tennessee on the topic of evolution in schools, because the new legislation did not allow for schools to teach evolution. Officially, the trial was for what Scopes had "done" and that was teach evolution is a school in Dayton.

3. Where was the court case held? When?
The court case was held in the small southern town of Dayton Tennessee in 1925. The official date of the beginning of the trial was July 10, 1925. This was not long after the legislation that put the Butler Act into effect.

6. Why did some of the people want the trial to take place in their town?
At the time of the trial Dayton was having many problems both economically and with that brought social problems as well. The industry that kept the small town afloat had begun to crumble was the coal and iron mines began to "dry" up. Just before the trial began George Rapelyea was in town to help with the bankruptsie that the inndustries were about to go in. That is when the George Rapelyea brought up the idea of the trail to bring about people and in turn economic prosperity to Dayton.

8. What role did John Scopes take? Did he really do what he was accused of doing?
John Scopes role in the trial was basically just to serve as a way to "create" a trial to go against the legislation that had previously been passed by the name of Butlers Law. By asking a teacher to go to trial for breaking the law it was thought that the very bases for which the law had been founded could be challenged. At the end of the documentary it was stated that John Scopes felt weird, because he could even remember having taught evolution.

15. What, ultimately, happened to the law that was challenged?
After the Scopes Monkey trail was over Darrow took the case to the supreme court were the sentence of Scopes was expunged, but the courts refused to get rid of Butlers Law. However, it was stated that no other person was to be tried for breaking the law so in a sense it was gone. The legislature was just there to prove a point.

For me it is hard to look at the trial from a presenticm standpoint, because so many parts of the trial seem completely unethical for the side of the defense. The judge that was chosen for the trial obviously had a religious side to him. Before the first day of the the trial there was a prayer said, this day in age that would never have flown especially with the context of the trial that was being heard. For me it is clear that the trial was not seen from a clear and just point of view when the judge did not allow the scientists to speak, but was going to allow someone from the side of religion to speak, there was an obvious bias. Another unjust part of the trial was the make-up of the jury. It was very undiverse made up of mostly religous people ( christians), which would have a bias on the side of the prosecution.

6. Why did some citizens in this town want the trial to take place in their town?
At this time, Dayton was a very small town that was losing its population as well as its popularity. They were in dire need of social and economic help, which was, in essence, why this trial started in the first place. This trial was “invented” you could say, to bring attention to the town. Dayton’s court of law was told to accuse Scopes of breaking the law, which would lead to publicity of Dayton and bring more people to the town. Looking back, no one really knew the trial would escalate to the size it did, but it certainly brought the attention and publicity that the town of Dayton was hoping for.

3. Where was the court case held? When?
The Scopes Trial was held in Dayton, Tennessee beginning on July 25, 1925. This was around three years after the Butler Act was passed.

2. What were the key issues?
Since the Butler Act was passed in 1922, it was unlawful to teach evolution in any state-funded school. John Scopes, a high school science teacher, was accused of teaching from a textbook that described the theory of evolution. The American Civil Liberties Union offered to defend anyone who was accused of teaching the theory of evolution. Dayton needed publicity, which is the reason Scopes was appointed as the man to plead guilty to teaching evolution. The court precedings were then set forth.

15. What, ultimately, happened to the law that was challenged?
(I did more research on this because I was interested) The courts refused to get rid of the law, but also stated that no one else could be tried for breaking this law. The law remained in act until 1967, when Gary Scott, a teacher in Scottsboro, Tennessee, was fired for violating this law. Scott cited his 1st Amendment right of freedom of speech, and sued for reinstatement back into the school system. After several trials, a bill for repeal was passed by both houses of the Tennessee legislature, officially signed in May 1967.

5. What did the Butler Act state?
The Butler Act was a Tennessee law that prohibited any public school teacher from teaching evolution or any other concept of Darwinism (in any state-funded school). The law also denied any teaching that implied human (or man) was an animal. Basically this law denied teaching the theory of Divine Creation from the Bible. Any teacher found guilty of teaching such theory, or theories, would essentially be breaking the law.

From a presentism perspective, this case would be considered very unprofessional in today’s terms. There was a tremendous amount of bias throughout the trial. For example, on the first day of court a prayer was said before the trial began. The judge clearly had his own religious beliefs which influenced his rulings and thoughts during the trial. Also, the fact that he only allowed 1 out of 8 of the scientists to verbally speak at the trial makes for another bias. There were too many religious affiliations in this case for it to be considered ethical or professional. This theory of evolution was banned simply on the basis that it conflicted with the church’s views of how man was created. I find this to be ridiculous because if we look at all we have accomplished in the scientific field (too much to even comprehend), why should we let the church, who is based on faith, say what we can and cannot teach? There have been too many ideas and theories in the field of science that have been denied (and sometimes lawfully denied) because it does not fit with the church’s beliefs. If this trial were tried today, things would be totally different and it would be interesting to compare the differences from each perspective.

3. Where was the court case held? When?

-The case was held in the Ray County Courthouse in Dayton, TN in 1925.

4. What brought about the trial?

-Two men got together (Rappleyay and Robinson) to try and challenge the law against teaching the theory of evolution to bring publicity to the town.

6. Why did some citizens in this town want the trial to take place in their town?

-To provide excitement and a much needed economic
boost. They wanted to bring industry to the town.

7. Who were the three key players in the trial?

-Robin who was the chairman of the school board and drugstore owner, Rappleyay who was in charge of the bankruptcy of the town, and John Scopes who was a teacher and football coach at a school in Dayton.

8. What role did John Scopes take? Did he really do what he was accused of doing?

-Scopes was propositioned to take the challenge to challenge the law to bring an economic boost to the town, to help his boss (Robinson) and to stand up for the stifling of freedom the act represented. He did not do what he was accused of doing, it was all planned.

Next go back to chapter 1 and review the concepts of Presentism and Historicism. Then discuss what you now about the Scopes trial from either a presentist or historicist perspective.

-In a historicist point of view, this trial was done in the idea that it would provide a boost for the town economically, industrially, and socially. At the time Dayton, TN was struggling, and Rappleyay had the idea to help this bankruptcy issue that he was deemed with handling. This trial was brought about in hopes of just helping the town, back in that day no one had television and everyone listened to the radio or actually just went to the place to gain entertainment and able to be up to date with the news and other social issues.

3) The court case was held in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee in 1925 soon after the Butler Act was passed by legislation, which prohibited the teachings of evolution theories in Tennessee classrooms.

5) The Butler Act (1925) was a Tennessee law prohibiting public school teachers from denying the Biblical account of mans origin, therefore, making it illegal to teach the theories of evolution within public school classrooms in Tennessee.

6) Citizens wanted the trail to take place in their town because Dayton was a small town struggling economically and the publicity of the trial would “put Dayton on the map”. The trail was virtually created as a publicity stunt by leaders of the community to help the struggling town become revitalized. The town succeeded in their efforts and Dayton is still well recognized today because of this historic trail.

7) The three key players in the trial were John Thomas Scopes, Clarence Darrow, and William Jennings Bryan. John Scopes was the defendant being accused of teaching evolution in his courtroom, which was against the law in Tennessee due to the Butler Act. Clarence Darrow was the most famous American defense attorney during this era and defended Scopes in the trail. William Jennings Bryan was a 3-time Democratic presidential nominee and was the chief prosecutor in the trial.

14) The most well-known reporter to cover this trial was H.L. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun. Mencken was not only the most well-known reporter at the trail, but the most well-know reporter in America at the time of the trail.

From a presentist point of view this trail would have never occurred in the first place. For instance, the judge was extremely biased and favored the side of the prosecution and the jury members were virtually clueless about what the case was even about. There is no way a trial of this nature could ever yield a fair and just outcome. However, what this trial did do was manage to open the discussion of evolution leading to a better understanding of it and making future generations aware of its existence and its importance.

1. What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
The Scopes Monkey Trial was about the fact that the Butler Act is unnecessary and should not be an act. John Scopes was a teacher who agreed to be a part of the trial to prove this point; mostly, because many of the teachers were still teaching it because it was in their textbooks even though they were not supposed to. So, Scopes was tried for not following the Butler Act. The idea that humans evolved from monkeys is part of what evolution is, that is why it is called the Scopes “Monkey” Trial.
3. Where was the court case held? When?
The court case was held in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925. It was in the Ray County Courthouse.
5. What did the Butler Act state?
The Butler Act stated that teachers could not talk about evolution or the idea that we descended from the animals. It also said that teachers must then teach that men originated the Biblical way. People felt that the Butler Act took away the rights and freedoms of teachers to teach how they wanted to teach.
8. What role did John Scopes take? Did he really do what he was accused of doing?
John Scopes was just someone to use as an example. They needed to find a teacher who would agree to go along with the trial. Scopes wrote in his autobiography that he felt uncomfortable as the defendant because he does not remember teaching about evolution in the classroom.
13.Was Scopes found guilty? If so, what was the punishment?
Scopes was found guilty and had to pay a fine.
14.Who was the most well-known reporter to cover this story?
H. L. Mencken was the reporter who covered the trial over the radio. It was the first time a trial was ever reported over the radio. It was a start that got us to where we are now having court television.

From a presentist’s point of view this trial is unfair and would not happen today. A judge can’t be bias the way that the judge in the Scopes Monkey Trial was. He clearly had already made his mind up that the prosecutor was right. This trial did have a huge part in getting our courts and laws to where they are today, which is why today this trial would not happen. We have less dramatic ways of trying to get rid of a law or act. A found it kind of ironic that this trial is about how people what creation taught in schools and not evolution when today we have the exact opposite going on in our schools. Teacher can’t talk about God in public schools. It is sometimes funny how history affects our future.

1) The Scopes Monkey Trial is about the theory of evolution versus religion. Christianity was something that had not been questioned and was the basis of how many people lived, so Darwin’s theory sparked the movement that questions religion and proposes another way to think about how humans became.

2) The key issue in this case was that John Scopes, a high school teacher, was accused of teaching from a textbook that included the theory of evolution. Because of the Butler Act, this was considered illegal which snowballed into a controversial trial that gave publicity and tourism in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee.

3) The court case took place in 1925 in a small town in Tennessee. Dayton was a traditional southern town that had strong view when it came to religion and were not necessarily thrilled with the idea of evolution and it being taught to their children, causing them to look their Christianity.

5) The Butler Act prohibited any public school teacher in Tennessee to teach the subject of evolution or any concepts of Darwinism. This law denied teaching any theories from the bible as well and stressed that the man is not an animal.

6)Some of the people in the town wanted the trial to take place there because it was a way of tourism that would help them out. This was the first time any issue like this was in the media, which makes it a controversial and popular event that would draw attention toward the small town that no one had ever heard of.

I think when looking at the Scopes Monkey Trial, it is important to look at it through the scope of historicist. Back then religion had never been questioned and families were much more traditional and prude. If we were to look at the trial through a presentist view, we would not fully understand because today society is much more accepting of non-traditional values. When researching the history of psychology, the Scope Monkey Trials is an important event that comes up, so researchers must be historicist and not judge what happened in 1925 with the same morals and values that we live with in 2012.

1. What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
The Scopes Monkey Trial began in 1925 when biology teacher John Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee’s Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach evolution in any state-funded school. The trial was initially conceived as a publicity stunt and it debated religion and evolution. John Scopes was fined $100 for teaching Darwinian Theory in violation of a newly enacted law.
3. Where was the court case held? When?
The Scopes Monkey trial took place in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee on July 10, 1925.
4. What brought about the trial?
This trial was brought about because John Scopes was accused of violating an act of the state legislature which prohibited the teaching of evolution in schools. Three schoolboys testified that they had been present when Scopes had taught evolution in their school. This allegation was not true but rather made up by him and his superiors so that they could put their town back on the map. Their town was suffering and this seemed like a good way to get people to come and increase their community. The trial began in July of 1925 and it became the first trial in American history to be broadcasted to the nation.
5. What did the Butler Act state?
The Butler Act was a law in Tennessee making it illegal for public schools to teach evolution. It was enacted on March 13, 1925 and it remained a law until it was repealed May 13, 1967. The Butler Act prohibited any teacher in any of the school systems of the state which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the state, to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.
13. Was Scopes found guilty? If so, what was the punishment?
John Scopes trial took eight days in the Tennessee summer. Whether Scopes actually taught evolution to his biology class remains unclear. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100. The Tennessee Supreme Court later upheld the constitutionality of the statue but reversed Scopes’ conviction on a technicality.
In a presentism point of view, this trial would be considered very unethical and wrong in the modern day courts. First of all, the judge was a religious man, which probably meant he wasn’t the best choice for a trial regarding a religious issue. Next, they didn’t have any kind of jury selection. Many member of the jury were Christians, which obviously would make them biased no matter what kind of points and arguments were presented at the trial. Lastly, they’re trying to make a very interesting scientific view banned from the school systems based only on the fact that the theory goes against their religious views. It’s wrong to take education like this away from the students.

Where was the court case held? When?
The trial took place on July 10, 1925 on a very hot summer day in the town on Dayton Tennessee. Dayton Tennessee had a population of about 1800 people, was founded after the civil war had taken place, and was surrounded by strawberry fields and coal mines. Before 1925, Dayton was filled with good business, good churches, and good schools, until 1925 occurred and many of these good economic attributes had closed down. This was later influential to bringing the trial against evolution to Dayton, because it would bring attention to this economically deprived town.
What brought about the trial?
There are a number of different factors that played off of each other that brought about the trial. First off, the state of Tennessee was the first to outlaw Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to be taught within schools. After news was spread of this law change nationwide, an organization that called the American Civil Liberties Union, which originated in New York, decided to get involved. The ACLU advocated for freedom of speech as well as the principle for tolerance for debate and dispute, and set out an ad in Tennessee newspapers saying that they would support and defend anybody who would refute this law in court. The low economic status that this town was going through was also a factor in bringing about the trial to Dayton. It would bring attention, excitement, and media to this small town that had needed it.
What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
The scopes Monkey Trial was about a law that was implemented in 1925 by a group of Christian fundamentalists that outlawed the teaching of evolution and Darwinian concepts because it contradicted how we came from God and the teachings from the bible. People were instead instructed to teach that we came from a lower order of animals. If teachers were to teach Darwinian principles they would be fined and arrested. The main premise of refuting this law was how it “stifled freedom” of the people. It was also said that it was important to pass this law because it was symbolic. The law symbolized who was legitimate, and Darwin , to those people, was not.
The two attorneys had differing ideas about what exactly was on trial, what did each attorney think was on trial?
The prosecuting attorney, Bryan, had quoted “the ills from which America suffered can be traced to the teaching of evolution.” He was a very religious man, who believed that the future and premise of religion was on trial. Darrow’s main reason for volunteering to represent Scope, was that he wanted to fight for freedom of speech and in his mind “the law” not the defendant was the main idea that was on trial.
Who were the three key players in the trial?
The three key players were the two attorneys William Jennings Bryan, Darrow, and John Scopes. John Scopes was of course the defendant who was accused of teaching the unlawful subject of Darwinian evolution, but who did so in order to help out his boss. His boss was the school board president as well as owner of the drugstore where people would gather to brain storm ideas to better the economy. They had come up with bringing attention to Dayton through this trial, and John Scopes decided to help out with the cause. William Jennings Bryan was a very religious man, and believed that relgion had the power to transform society. He grew up in a religious household, and he had carried that through with him in all his years. He had also become very politically involved, even as a presidential candidate. Darrow was the defense attorney, who had come from a complete opposite background. His father was a heretic, and he grew up always on the defense. So in this premise, he had always been about defending what’s in question, and therefore volunteered to represent Scopes.

1) What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
The Scopes Monkey Trial was a trial about religion and Darwin’s theory of evolution. John Scopes was a teacher in Tennessee and was teaching a science class. He was arrested for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution in his classroom in a public school. Most people were very religious and did not approve. Tennessee made a law so people could not teach against the bible beliefs; the bill was passed on March 23rd. Tennessee was the first state in the union to do so.

3) Where was the court case held? When?
The court case was held in a small town called Dayton, Tennessee in their court house, in 1925.

5) What did the Butler Act state?
It was a law in Tennessee that made it illegal for theories of evolution to be taught in the public school classes. It was put in place in 1925 and repealed in 1967. It made it so no teachers in this state could teach against biblical teachings.

8) What role did John Scopes take? Did he really do what he was accused of doing?
John Scopes was the defendant in the trial. He wanted the right to be able to teach the evolutionary theory in the class room. He wanted to go against Butlers Law. John did not do what he was accused of, and in the movie it said that he didn’t even remember actually teaching the theory to his students

13) Was Scopes found guilty? If so, what was the punishment?
John Scopes was found guilty and had to pay a $100 fine.

From the presentism perspective it could have been considered unprofessional. The judge could have had biases because of his own beliefs. It also seemed like much of the jury had the same or similar beliefs and values, so I don’t think it was a fair case. To show that mostly everyone was religious there was even a prayer before the court case. I think the jury and judge didn’t give a fair chance to John and were just thinking about their own beliefs not looking at a whole different side of things. The case was basically for the towns’ economy. It would draw attention to many people, which it did; people came from all over to see the trial.

1) What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
-The Scopes Monkey Trial was about a general science teacher/football coach named John Thomas Scopes, who worked at a public school in Dayton, Tennessee. New to town from Illinois, Scopes was accused of violating the state’s law called the Butler Act which prohibited a teacher to teach students about evolution in any state-funded school.

3) Where was the court case held? When?
-The court case was held in Dayton, Tennessee, in the Rhea County Courthouse on July 10th, 1925.

5) What did the Butler Act state?
The Butler Act, enacted in 1922, was a law in Tennessee prohibiting public school teachers from discrediting the Biblical account of man’s origin. The law forbids the teaching the evolution of man from the book of Darwin in place of the book of Genesis in the Bible.

10) At the beginning of the case, the crowded sided with which attorney?
The audience basically sided with William Jennings Bryan on the prosecution side which was against evolution. Many members of the audience didn’t even know what evolution was and of course stuck with what they did know, which was their faith. They also sided with Bryan because he was well-known and he advised the audience that evolution was bad for their faith.

15) What, ultimately, happened to the law that was challenged?
After the Scopes Monkey Trial, Clarence Darrow (from the defense) took the case to the Supreme Court where Scope’s sentence was removed, but Butler’s Act was still in tact by the courts. However, it was now stated that no one could be charged with breaking the act.

Discuss what you know about the Scopes trial from either a presentist or historicist perspective.
-Being a presentist thinker, I don’t think this trial would’ve been taken seriously. Although, nowadays there’s separation of church and state and the Supreme Court doesn’t deal with cases like this. I think this only happened because it was held in a Dayton, a small town, where religion is typically a huge part of their lives. When you live in a small town, you have your religion and don’t experience a lot of things that challenge that. I know that in today’s world, people are still offended by the teachings of Darwin’s evolution, but teachers aren’t allowed to preach that it is above the Bible.

3. Where was the court case held? When?

The trial was held at the Ray County Court House in Dayton, Tennessee on July 10, 1925.

4. What brought about the trial?
The trial was brought about to raise revenue to a dying bankrupt town. The attorney, George Rappleyea who was overseeing the bankruptcy of the town saw the ad from the ACLU offering support to anyone who challenged the law. Rappleyea believed in evolution and disliked the anti-evolution law saw this as an opportunity to raise money and fix the town. It did not seem as if any involved, other than Rappleyea had any real opinions or convictions either way concerning evolution and teaching it in the public schools.

5. What did the Butler Act state?

The Butler Act stated that it was against the law for a teacher in a public school to teach anything that went against the Bible. Specifically the theory of evolution, in that man descended from other species of animals. Teachers who broke the law were subjected to fines.

8. What role did John Scopes take? Did he really do what he was accused of doing?

John Scopes was merely a silent partner in the circus of a trial. He did not testify, he was only asked to play the role of defendant. It doesn’t even appear that anyone asked him if he had indeed taught evolution. They seemed to only choose him because he was a bachelor. In the end he stated in his book that he wasn’t sure himself if he had even taught evolution. If I had to guess I would imagine that at some point he had probably made some references to evolution. It does not seem as though he really pushed the issue, he was more interested in coaching football.

15. What, ultimately, happened to the law that was challenged?

At first Tennessee left the law on the books but would not allow prosecution of individuals based upon the teaching of evolution. As more states attempted to create these laws in their law books they were challenged and struck down as unconstitutional which was what eventually became of the law in Tennessee.

The first historicist perspective of the Scopes trial I believe is that in reality the trial was not really done with the idea of providing justice concerning the breaking of law. I saw how the small town was able to be led by a few “good ole boys” that were the leaders of the town in order to attempt to save the community from bankruptcy. I think by watching these videos it is easier to see and understand how so many other injustices were allowed in the legal system during this period in history. The level of decorum with things like a four year old choosing names from a hat, is almost laughable if you don’t consider how serious the consequence could be for anyone who dared to cross a person with one of the movers and shakers in a community.
The dedication of Bryan is more understandable when you see what things were happening when Darwinian ideas were being distorted by extremists. Those who were using these theories to support eugenics were causing a lot of problems and spreading a lot of hate and misinformation to people worldwide. Understanding those issues can make a person see how frightening this teaching might be to people of this time.

2. The key issues in the Scopes trial were the teaching of evolution and the Butler Act (which made it illegal to teach evolution in public schools in Tennessee) – and less overtly the right to freedom of speech and the separation of church and state.

3. The court case was held in Dayton, Tennessee in July of 1925. In the video they describe this as "a very hot summer".

5. The Butler Act made it illegal to teach evolution in public schools in Tennessee – specifically that no one could teach any theory that denied the Bible’s account of divine creation as man’s origin.

6. Some citizens in Dayton wanted the trial to take place in their town in order to boost their economy and bring national and state attention. Their economy was doing so poorly they thought the notoriety/publicity would help bring more people (and dollars) to Dayton.

14. The most well-known reporter to cover this story was H.L Mencken (who was sent to cover the trial by the Baltimore Sun newspaper). He had a very negative view of the South and of Bryan. He thought and wrote that they were “buffoons and hillbillies”.

Presentism is an error in historical understanding and interpretation that occurs when we try to understand the past in terms of present day concepts, beliefs, values, and practices. In presentism, historical events are explained only as though all past events brought us to the present and that the past only has meaning in terms of our present understanding. Presentism is contrasted with historicism an approach that tries to explain and understand historical events in terms of the concepts and beliefs of the time in which the events occurred.

It would be presentism to view the Scopes Trial as merely another example of the current controversy that exists between evolutionary theory and creation “science.” The beliefs and theories of the present day are very different from those of the 1920s, even though we still find arguments about teaching evolution in public schools.

Today religion plays little, if any, part in our public schools. That was very different in the 1920s when the school day included prayer. Today, the argument is presented not as religion versus evolution (the Bible vs. Darwin), but rather as though there is another “scientific approach” to the origin of species. That is creation science, which is claimed to be unrelated to any particular religious view. Also, there have been huge advances in our knowledge of natural history, genetics and DNA, that we should not try to carry back to understanding the Scopes trial of the 1920s.

What is similar today, however, is that two groups strongly disagree about the origin of humans and that they see the schools as a battlefield (at least one of the groups does) for the two views (while others try to show that there is no conflict in the views but that one does not, by current standards, belong in the public schools).

Also there were a great many details about the Scopes trial that ties it to the 1920s - the biography of the two lawyers, the unique nature of Tennessee culture, and the desire of the town to promote itself. (In fact, I read the town is still today using the Scopes trial as a tourist attraction.)

1. What was the Scopes Monkey Trial about?
It was most simply an agreement over the Book of Darwin vs. the Book of Genesis. It was a court case where evolution and religion were on the stand. Tennessee was the first state in the union to outlaw the teaching of evolution. They were not allowed to teach anything other than the “divine creation of man” as stated in the bible. Scopes was accused of teaching evolution in school and the trial was an argument working to enforce this law and punish Scopes for teaching about evolution in his public school science class(es).

3. Where and When was the court case held?
Ray County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee during the hottest summer anyone could remember. It was 1925. (After the teaching of evolution was outlawed-Butler Act).

4. What brought about the trial?
The trial was brought about by the accusation that John Scopes was a “heretic” as he was teaching evolution in his public school science classroom. Robinson and Rapplevay were two men that contributed to the event of the trial as they challenged the anti-evolutionary theory teaching legislature. It also seemed to be the hope that the small town of Dayton would have an economic boob as a result of the trial. It definitely succeeded as even the hotel was full to capacity. The trial also succeeded in putting Dayton, Tennessee on the map. People came from all over the United States. The allegation against Scope that stated that he was teaching evolutionary theory was actually false, though it attracted the mass media just the same. It was also an argument for freedom of speech and a good way to stand up against anti-evolutionary thinking.

6. Why did some citizens in this town want the trial to take place in their town?
To repeat much of my answer to the previous question: The citizens wanted the trial to create an economic boom for their town. They also hoped that Dayton would become famous and industry would find great success. The people also hoped for some excitement. (TV was clearly not as popular then-joke).

13. Who won the case? What happened?
The law was upheld. Scope lost and was required to pay a fine. The case also ended up at the Supreme Court where no changes were actually made to the Butler Law/Act and the teaching of evolution was still denied in the public classroom.

14. Who were the most well known reporters to cover the trial?
The Baltimore Sun had the most popular coverage of the trial. This is probably because America’s most well-known reporter at the time worked for the Balitmore Sun. His name was H.L. Mencken. This trial was also the first time that a court case was covered on the radio (H.L.Mencken). However, the local newspapers also contained many comics and other illustrations included some containing references to the anti-Christ. Side note: Mencken seemed to hate Byan as he appeared very hypocritical.

Not sure how well I understood presenticism and historicism. As far as I understand the two ideas, I believe that the Scopes Monkey Trial is best seen and understood through the historicist perspective. I say this because the standards and reasonings back then were very different from how they are today. This case was their first even in which religion was truly rivaled or argued in a court of law. This was a HUGE day back then as religion was so highly valued and viewed. Traditional views we upmost important. People were incredibly prude and proud of their values. To look at this trial from a presentist perspective, you would not fully take into account the high esteem of religion and tradition. Today we value differing ideas where then they viewed that ideas and changes to the law were dangerous! This case, if judged from the same moral view or based on the same values we hold today, would have a different result and be viewed very differently. There were many biases based on the standards of the time and the culture. This is why I would put emphasis on the historist view as it had a clear role in this situation and it is definitely something to consider when looking at the facts of this trial. (Also-the judges and jury’s biases toward Christianity also played a historically important role, where as in a present view, they would not have had the same, if any, significant effect.)

To look at the trial from a presentist point of view, it could be argued that the case wouldn’t have even gone to course in the first place. It wasn’t a fair trial and there were far too many biases. Not to mention the content was bogus and the entire thing was a publicity stunt.

3.) Where was the court case held? When?
The case was in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925.

5.) What did the Butler Act state?
The Butler Act stated that public schools could not teach the theory of evolution to students. It was illegal for teachers to teach against the bible on the way that human life originated (evolution).

6.) Why did some citizens in this town want the trial to take place in their town?
They believed that the trial would bring in large crowds and national publicity, stimulating business in the small, poor town of Dayton, Tennessee. It worked. Masses of people and reporters showed up.

2.) What were the key issues?
That John Scopes was accused of teaching evolution to his students. This was illegal (Butler Act). Not only was he teaching evolution, he was supposedly teaching from a text that promoted social Darwinism, which made the issue much worse.

13.) Was Scopes found guilty? If so, what was the punishment?
Scopes was found guilty and also had to pay a fine. Scopes also endured a lot of shame and wanted to go somewhere where no one knew him (Venezuela).

I’m going to consider the Scopes Monkey Trial with a historicist point of view. As a historicist, I would argue that this is a part of history. To move forward, there has to be battles to move to the next level of intelligence. The time period that this trial took place in was acceptable given the amount of knowledge that was known at the time. Religion has played a huge role throughout the course of history, dating back way farther than when this happened. I think we can all agree that religion still plays a huge role today.

This was a very interesting blog for me due to my interest in law. This was the very first American trial covered by broadcasters. The scopes monkey trial was a very controversial case in 1925, which is also known as State of Tennessee vs. John Scopes. This was a lengthy trial, last 8 days in the city of Dayton, Tennessee. For the town of Dayton, this trial was something that they were definitely not used to. Basically John Scopes was being prosecuted for the unlawful teaching of evolution in a public school system. This was in violation of the a law known as the Butler act, which as a law fought for by John Butler in order to hide evolution from the school system.

In 1925, Scopes was charged for this because he was substituting for the regular teacher, and taught evolution from a chapter from Civil Biology; a very popular text book around the United States. Although he was found guilty, the verdict was overturned and he was let free. The attorneys present in this case were very popular. William Bryan argued for the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes.

William Bryan was quite a character, as the film even described him as “spending his nights drinking with the defense”. He was a very religious man and believed that evolution was a concept that would severely threaten faith. He strongly believed that Darwinism should not be taught to children because it would create an array of problems and destroy religious views. At this time in American history, it doesn’t surprise me that attorneys were quite religious and used this in the courtroom. I think nowadays it would be quite different. My first question for these people would be “What the heck happened to the separation of church and state?” This is a question that I have been eager to ask politicians for years… William Bryan was a favorite among the citizens of Dayton due to his beliefs.

The opposing council was a man by the name of Clarence Darrow, who believed that people with opposing views could live in harmony without disturbing each other. For example, the evolutionists could live amongst the Christians without destroying their religion. He urged that people except evolution as something to SUPLEMENT religion, not REPLACE it. Clearly, from the point of view of a college educated individual living in the 21st century, Darrow had a better case. Unfortunately, the trial wasn’t exactly fair to BEGIN with. Some of the jurors sided with Bryan for the simple fact that they didn’t even know what evolution is!

Fundamentalism is still alive in Dayton, Tennessee, and strangely enough there is a fundamentalist college in Dayton named Bryan College. (I wonder who that is named after?) Fundamentalism is a Christian idea that entails strict interpretation of the bible.
I think it’s fairly clear in this essay that I have taken a presentist view on this issue. Although I have nothing against religion, I think that religious extremists are some of the most close minded people in our world. If everyone in our world were like this, then we wouldn’t have all of the technology that we have today. FIRST OFF, separation of church and state: Isn’t this what our country was founded on?!?! SECOND OFF, the jury in this case was NOT QUALIFIED in the slightest way. No way that a jury like this would be chosen today. I’m convinced that the monkey that we saw at the beginning of the film would have done a better job. How is it fair that the jury has no idea what evolutionism is? I understand that he broke the law, but the fact that this book was being used ALL over the country really says something about the Butler’s political motivations. Butler simply lobbied for this law because HIS VIEWS didn’t agree with evolutionism. Let’s think about a topic today that politicians have the same issues with: rights of homosexual persons. “You don’t have to be sitting in the church pews every Sunday to know that there’s a problem when gays can openly serve in our armed forces, but our children can’t pray in schools.” -Rick Perry. Obviously, the fundamentists are still alive and strong. Again, I would ask Bryan and Perry the same question: separation of church and state?