Lesson4TheTrialThatRockedtheWorldI.BackgroundInformationAboutthetextTheScopestrial,knownasthe“MonkeyTrial”,tookplacein1925.The1920sisknownastheJazzAgeinU.S,adecadecharacterizedbyaspiritofunconventionalityandgaiety---enjoymentbytheyoungofdrinking,dancingandpartying,etc.AsF.ScottFitzgeralddescribedthetime,“thepartieswerebigger,thepacewasfaster,thebuildingswerehigher,themoralslooser.”Whiletheyoungwereenjoyingeveryminuteofthebigparty,theoldergenerationfeltthreatenedbyaculturethatseemedtohavelostitsdirection.SurveysshowedthatyoungpeoplewerelosingtheirfaithinGod.ThisconcernarousedarevivaloffundamentalismintheSouth.In1921WilliamJenningsBryan,inhisattempttobringAmericabacktotheBible,launchedananti-evolutioncampaign.Headvocatedbanningtheteachingofevolutioninchurch-rununiversitiesandalsoactivelylobbiedforstatelawsbanningpublicschoolsfromteachingevolution.ThelegislaturesofseveralSouthernstatespassedlawsbanningtheteachingofevolutioninpublicschoolsafterBryanaddressedthem.AprominentexamplewastheButlerActof1925,makingitunlawfulinTennesseetoteachthatmankindevolvedfromlowerlifeforms.ItisagainstthisbackgroundthattheScopestrialtookplace.Thecasewasneitherisolatednoraccidental,butwasaresultoftheclashbetweenmodernismandfundamentalism.Inthisarticle,JohnScopes,thepersonatthecenterofthestorm,recallstheevent37yearsafteritwasover.Heoutlinesthehighlightsofthetrial.Hedescribestheeventsasiftellingastorywhichhassetting,action,climax,characters,etc.Thefirst-personnarrativeaddsafeelingofauthenticitytothewriting.AlthoughScopeswasontrial,themainattentionwasfocusedonthetwoprominentfiguresrepresentingeachside:WilliamJenningsBryan