Evolution vs. Creationism

One of the central tensions in the events surrounding the trial is that of evolution vs. creationism. Larson shows that during the nineteenth century, science and evolution appear to have coexisted and mingled. Scientists and theologians often saw evolutionary theories in harmony with biblical accounts of creation. This began to change as new fossil discoveries came to light and as more and more students began encountering evolution theories in secondary schools. Theories of evolution came to be seen as contradictory to those of creationism and the biblical account.

After the turn of the century, an anti-evolution campaign, led by William Jennings Bryan, developed to challenge these theories, and in particular to have them banned from inclusion in public high school curriculums. The campaign was spurred on by the growth of fundamentalism. Not everyone agreed with this. Many believed in evolutionary theories, including many individuals attending modernist...