Epperson v. Arkansas 1968

AuthorDaniel Brannen, Richard Hanes, Elizabeth Shaw
Pages123-128

Page 123

Appellants: Susan Epperson, et al.

Appellee: State of Arkansas

Appellants' Claim: That an Arkansas law that forbade her from teaching the theory of evolution to public school students was unconstitutional.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant: Eugene R. Warren

Chief Lawyer for Appellee: Don Langston, Assistant Attorney General of Arkansas

Justices for the Court: Hugo Lafayette Black, William J. Brennan, Jr., William O. Douglas, Abe Fortas (writing for the Court), John Marshall Harlan II, Thurgood Marshall, Potter Stewart, Earl Warren, Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting: None

Date of Decision: November 12, 1968

Decision: The Arkansas law violated the First Amendment separation of church and state.

Significance: The decision emphasized that governments may not favor one religion over others.

Page 124

Evolution v religion

The theory of evolution, developed by Charles Darwin in the mid-nineteenth century, has created a problem regarding freedom of religion in the United States. Evolution teaches that all living creatures, including humans, evolved, that is, descended, from lower species of life. According to evolution, humans are related to gorillas, chimpanzees, and other ape-like animals.

Clarence Darrow was one of the lawyers in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, which laid the foundation for Epperson almost 45 years later. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Many religions, including Christianity, teach a different theory called creationism. This theory, found in the Bible's Book of Genesis, says God created humans as they are today. For some people who believe in creationism, evolution is an attack on their religious beliefs. When evolution began to be taught in public schools in the early twentieth century, some people feared it would turn their children away from Christianity. It angered them that their taxes were supporting public schools that might do this. These people passed laws to prevent teachers from giving lessons on evolution.

The most famous anti-evolution law was the one passed in Tennessee in 1925. It prevented instructors from teaching any theory that denied the story of creation as put forth in the Bible. When John T. Scopes was charged with violating the law, the Tennessee Supreme Court said the law was a valid exercise of the state's power to control what is taught in public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court did not consider the issue until forty-three years...

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