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The 1920s: Warren G. Harding and the Scopes Trial
Part A: Important Terms: Instructions: In one sentence or more, explain the historical significance of the
terms below.
1. Calvin Coolidge:
2. Charles Darwin:
3. Fundamentalists:
4. Secularists:
5. Modernists:
6. Clarence Darrow:
7. Trickledown Economics:
Part B: Short Answer: Instructions: In one paragraph or more, answer the questions below.
1. What was the “Scopes Monkey Trial”? How did it end?
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2. What was the Teapot Dome Scandal? How did it impact the
Presidency of Warren G. Harding?
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ANSWERS:
The 1920s: Warren G. Harding and the Scopes Trial
Part A: Important Terms: Instructions: In one sentence or more, explain the historical significance of the
terms below.
1. Calvin Coolidge: He was Vice President to Warren G. Harding. When Harding died of a heart
attack, Coolidge became President.
2. Charles Darwin: He was a scientist who developed the theory of evolution.
3. Fundamentalists: This group was a very conservative branch of Christianity.
4. Secularists: This group believed living things evolved overtime and originated from non-living
things, a process called abiogenesis. Numerous secularists were atheists, agnostics, and deists who
believed that the Bible was a collection of writings and myths, not God’s word.
5. Modernists: This group claimed Darwinism was compatible with Christianity.
6. Clarence Darrow: He defended John Scopes in the Scopes Monkey Trial.
7. Trickledown Economics: This is a system with low taxes on the rich and little regulation for the
stock market.
Part B: Short Answer: Instructions: In one paragraph or more, answer the questions below.
1. What was the “Scopes Monkey Trial”? How did it end?
In March of 1925, Tennessee banned the teaching of evolution. John T. Scopes, a teacher, went
against the law and taught the topic in a biology class. He had to appear in court for violating the law.
His case was dubbed, “The Scopes Monkey Trial.” Two lawyers faced off in the case. Clarence Darrow
defended Scopes against William Jennings Bryan, a Fundamentalist. The issue at hand was whether
or not evolution should be taught at public schools. Scopes lost and was fined $100.00 for teaching
evolution.
2. What was the Teapot Dome Scandal? How did it impact the Presidency of Warren G.
Harding?
In Teapot Dome, Wyoming, oil rich lands were set aside for the government. Yet, Albert Fall, the
Secretary of Interior, accepted a bribe of $400,000.00 to lease the land to private oil companies. This
was called the Teapot Dome Scandal and many asserted it proved that Harding was incompetent to
stop corruption from occurring in the government.
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.