1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion

The 1925 Scopes trial marked a pivotal moment in America’s culture war over science and religion, as a Tennessee teacher was prosecuted for teaching evolution in defiance of a state law rooted in biblical literalism. Though the trial ended in a guilty verdict and public ridicule of fundamentalists, it galvanized a movement that ultimately embraced young Earth creationism, popularized by works like The Genesis Flood and promoted today through museums, schools, and tax-funded private education. A century later, the debate over evolution and creationism remains deeply embedded in American society.

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This article was published in The Conversation on July 1, 2025, and was written by William Trollinger & Susan L Trollinger.