Monkey Trial Flashcards
(19 cards)
2 features of monkey trial
- Humiliated fundamentalists (role of media)
- Religion v science debate
What are fundamentalists
Christians who believe everything in the Bible literally
- (Not exploring implied meaning)
When was butler act passed
1925
What was the butler act 1925
- a law in Tennessee
- meant it was illegal to teach Darwin’s theory of evolution
Who were modernists
- they interpreted Bible differently
- wanted to re-interpret it
- because they saw Darwin’s theory of evolution as correct
What was the ACLU
American Civil Liberties Union
What did ACLU want
- wanted a school teacher to break the butler law on purpose and get put on trial
Who did ACLU convince to break the Butler Law
John scopes
When was scopes arrested
1925
- released on bail
When was the scopes ‘monkey’ trial
1925
Who defended scopes
Clarence Darrow
- very famous
- volunteered to be scopes’ lawyer
Darrow volunteered to be scopes’ lawyer
//
Who was Darrow
- a very famous lawyer
Who was the prosecutor
Will Bryan
- represented fundamentalism
- ran for president 3 times
Character lore of the monkey trial
- Bryan
- fundamentalism
- Darrow
- modernism / Darwinism
How was Bryan (and fundamentalism) humiliated by Darrow
- Darrow called Bryan to the stand as an expert of the Bible
- he ‘cross-examined’ him
- asked Bryan questions like: ‘did god create the earth in 6, 24 hour, days ?’
- Bryan was stumped
- looked stupid
How was this humiliation amplified
- the monkey trial was broadcast on the radio
- one of the first trials to ever be broadcast on radio
- trial was headlining newspapers in Europe + usa
- fundamentalism mocked, esp. in usa
How was the debate amplified
- broadcast on radio
- headlined newspapers globally
Result of the trial
- scopes found guilty
- scopes fined
