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The Scopes Trial

The Scopes Trial. American Freethought , Robbins WS 13/14 Anna Beier, Franziska Zimmermann, Ann-Kathrin Henkel. Butler Act. March 1925, Tennessee (as first state) Prohibited public school teachers from denying the biblical account of man’s origin

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The Scopes Trial

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  1. The Scopes Trial American Freethought, Robbins WS 13/14 Anna Beier, Franziska Zimmermann, Ann-Kathrin Henkel

  2. Butler Act • March 1925, Tennessee (as first state) • Prohibited public school teachers from denying the biblical account of man’s origin • banned teaching Darwin’s evolution theory at public schools

  3. ACLU (American CivilLiberties Union) • nonpartisan, non-profit organization • organization‘s aim: to preserve and defend individual rights and liberties • e.g.: through legal assistance and representation when civil liberties are endangered • insists on a strict separation of church and state

  4. The role of the ACLU in the trial: • offered to pay the trial costs of any person accused of breaking the Butler law • to raise attention and critically approach the new law, they searched for a teacher who would teach Darwin’s theory of evolution at a school in Tennessee  young teacher John Thomas Scopes joined the project of violating the law

  5. John Thomas Scopes

  6. The Scopes Trial • took place in Dayton, Tennessee • stretched over eight days • hundreds of people came to the court to follow the trial • covered by huge broadcast media • triggered a vast debate in America: • religion vs. science • faith vs. agnosticism • Darwin‘s theory vs. The Bookof Genesis

  7. The trial is well-known for the cross-examination between Darrow and Bryan • Clarence Darrow: defendent of Scopes • William Jennings Bryan: prosecutor • Scopes was foundguiltyandchargedwith $ 100 • later the case was brought to appeal and Scopes was acquitted bythe Tennessee Supreme Court then

  8. Journal Questions • How does Darrow rhetorically manage to challenge Bryan‘s lack of scientifically founded arguments? • How would you characterize Bryan‘s reactions to Darrow‘s questions? • Whichideologiesareadvocatedby Bryan and Darrow? • The trial was also calledthe Scopes Monkey Trial. Discussthecartoonwithregardstothetranscript. • Suggesthow Ingersoll, as an agnostic, wouldpossibly mediate theopponentpositionsof Darrow and Bryan. • WhatisBryan‘sview on otherreligions?

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