(https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2012/05/24/from-the-archives-fundamentalist-pied-pipers/)
Fundamentalism in the 1920s
Overview
Fundamentalism followed the protestant teachings that the Bible was the literal truth and nothing else told the truth. Tennessee passed a major law that teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was illegal. This law led to the events of the extremely popular Scopes Trial of 1925 (Lapsansky-Werner 223-224). The Scopes Trial occurred in 1925 when a Tennessee teacher named John Scopes broke the law and taught evolution. Soon after, Scopes was arrested subsequently tried in the Scopes Trial. His lawyer Clarence Darrow, the most celebrated defense attorney of that time, defended him. Darrow defended Scopes very well, but John Scopes was still found guilty of teaching evolution and fined $100. This incident sparked the discussion about what should be taught in schools and is still prevelant today. (History.com staff).
Primary Document- This was a letter from a reporter, Wayne to a man named Arthur talking about the Scopes Trial as well as not having bias with that letter he sent. You can clearly tell that this is true because he only stated the facts and he didn't include and opinion statements such as "I believe" or "better than", etc.
This was a letter sent to Mr. Cantor about the Scopes Trial and how it's the most controversial cases he's ever reported about with his 12 years of experience of reporting and writing articles/newspapers.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug97/inherit/1925home.html
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug97/inherit/1925home.html
"'You have given considerable study to the Bible, haven't you, Mr. Bryan?'
'Yes, sir; I have tried to ... But, of course, I have studied it more as I have become older than when I was a boy.'
'Do you claim then that everything in the Bible should be literally interpreted?'
'I believe everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there ...'
Darrow continued to question Bryan on the actuality of Jonah and the whale, Joshua's making the sun stand still and the Tower of Babel, as Bryan began to have more difficulty answering.
Q: 'Do you think the earth was made in six days?'
A: 'Not six days of 24 hours ... My impression is they were periods ...'
Q: 'Now, if you call those periods, they may have been a very long time?'
A: 'They might have been.'
Q: 'The creation might have been going on for a very long time?'
A: 'It might have continued for millions of years ...'" ("The Scopes 'Monkey Trial'")
Primary Document- This is a part of the 15 day case where William Jennings Bryant was cross examined by Clarence Darrow and he was basically forced to go against Darrow's claim and that the theory of evolution can be taught in schools, and he had to support the claim that the Bible is the literal truth.
'Yes, sir; I have tried to ... But, of course, I have studied it more as I have become older than when I was a boy.'
'Do you claim then that everything in the Bible should be literally interpreted?'
'I believe everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there ...'
Darrow continued to question Bryan on the actuality of Jonah and the whale, Joshua's making the sun stand still and the Tower of Babel, as Bryan began to have more difficulty answering.
Q: 'Do you think the earth was made in six days?'
A: 'Not six days of 24 hours ... My impression is they were periods ...'
Q: 'Now, if you call those periods, they may have been a very long time?'
A: 'They might have been.'
Q: 'The creation might have been going on for a very long time?'
A: 'It might have continued for millions of years ...'" ("The Scopes 'Monkey Trial'")
Primary Document- This is a part of the 15 day case where William Jennings Bryant was cross examined by Clarence Darrow and he was basically forced to go against Darrow's claim and that the theory of evolution can be taught in schools, and he had to support the claim that the Bible is the literal truth.