DBQ Exercise: Scopes Monkey Trial

Essay by chan0oHigh School, 12th gradeA+, February 2006

download word file, 2 pages 3.0

This article is about the Scopes Monkey Trial. Although that was not the official and legal name for the case, it is universally known as such It involved a science teacher, Scopes, who taught Evolution in his public school Biology class which went against the Butler Act. He was arrested and tried by two of the most famous names in law at the time, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan. Bryan would prosecute and Darrow in association with the ACLU would defend. It was a blockbuster with all the big names. It soon became a joke and a debate about the superior set of beliefs. Towards the end of the case, both teams employed multiple tactics. Eventually, Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 which The Baltimore Sun paid.

I think as bogus as this case was; it marks a significant point in American history. During this era, America began a more vocal campaign against its traditional values.

America was getting more liberal and breaking away from religious restraints. I believe that this also led to the complete lack of morals that we see nowadays. Looking back, society throughout the 1900's became more and more liberal until the mid 1950's when radicals began to poke at the fabric of America. Personally, I believe that the original vision the Founding Father's had in mind has become twisted by abusers of the Constitution such as the ACLU. America was a much stronger and morally confident place when people were united under a single mindset, but with a move for independence and non-conformity, the level of disregard had become uncontrollable. During the early 1900's if someone did something wrong, they were severely reprimanded. For that reason, senior citizens for the most part are more pleasant, polite, reciprocatively respecting and well-mannered. There...