by Darwin’s revolutionary theory of Darwinism has had a profound effect on the world of science since its origin in the 19th century. The theory of evolution outlines the idea of a progressive adaptation of species based on their environment, creating an adapted species throughout millions of years. As generations pass, these species adapt traits and features that help them best survive in their environment. The most controversial aspect of this theory is the idea that humans ourselves have evolved from extremely distant, water living organisms. Over millennia humans adapted to become simple land creatures, to various forms of primates, and finally to the human form we take today. In the 19th century, this idea caused a large amount of controversy within the United States. By outlining the possibility that humans were created not by a higher power but by a sequence of natural events, the balance of science and religion in life faced an ultimatum. The disdain for Darwinism continued into the 20th century, when the teaching of evolution in schools came under judicial scrutiny. In our current millennium, the view of Darwinism has improved, but not without backlash from specific groups around the country. Since its creation in the 19th century, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution has had a profound effect on the view of science and religion in the United States.
The founding of Darwinism provided a direct opposition to the idea of creationism, and that humans were made in the image of god to be the “enlightened” species. Darwin’s idea that humans were molded by the environment they were surrounded by over time goes against the idea that humans were designed specifically to be how they are today by a higher power. With Christianity playing such a large role in the United States since its creation, Darwin’s proposed ideas were not readily accepted by a lot of the population of the country. If humans were not instantaneously created in the image of God but rather crafted by nature over time, then what separated humans from any other species in the world? The idea of being the enlightened species of animal was in jeopardy due to Darwin’s writings. For the time period that he revealed the idea of evolution to the world, the United States’s religiously heavily populace did not accept the view that humans were not created in a divine image and were more similar to other species of the world than not.
The disdain for Darwin’s theory of evolution continued through the 20th century, more specifically with its role in the classrooms of the US. In 1925, highschool teacher Thomas Scopes was involved in a court case in which he violated Tennessee state law by teaching about evolution in a state funded school. This shows that the theory of evolution was considered to be a “dangerous” theory that was not seen as acceptable to teach by the U.S. Government. The hesitation to support this theory could stem from the lack of support and testing for Darwin’s theory, due to the fact that it was a relatively new science. Whatever the case may be, the Scopes Trial shows the lack of acceptance of Darwin’s theories after 50 years of its existence. 20th century America was perhaps just as weary of the teachings as the original generation of evolutionists.
Today’s view of evolution has certainly expanded since its inception in the 19th century. Schools now accept the idea of a gradual process of species through millions of years of adaptation and progression. New technologies and studies have found animal remains and artifacts that also tell the story of human-like mammals that are genetically our earlier ancestors. While there is more of a general acceptance of Darwin’s theories in the country, religious groups still hold on to the belief of creationism, and that the human race is elevated in terms of its origins. Darwinism and the theory of evolution has certainly caused a rift in the relationship between science and religion, causing a polarization of the two sides. Despite coming a long way from its initial inception since the 19th century, there are still plenty of doubts within the nation as to how accurate Darwinism is to tell the story of human creation.