| | Bryan was (along with [[Woodrow Wilson]]) the nost prominent Democrat in the [[Progressive Era]], and was a leader in many progressive causes, such as anti-trust, peace and prohibition. | | Bryan was (along with [[Woodrow Wilson]]) the nost prominent Democrat in the [[Progressive Era]], and was a leader in many progressive causes, such as anti-trust, peace and prohibition. |
| | He served as Secretary of State during the Administration of President [[Woodrow Wilson]], and resigned based on his principled opposition to American involvement in [[World War I]]. | | He served as Secretary of State during the Administration of President [[Woodrow Wilson]], and resigned based on his principled opposition to American involvement in [[World War I]]. |
| | Bryan then toured Europe and became alarmed at the consequences of teaching [[Darwinian evolution]] as he was a devout evangelical. He grew concerned that this theory was the intellectual basis for the massive world wars, and that the theory led to an erroneous view that human races must inevitably fight with each other for survival of the fittest. He feared another world war. | | Bryan then toured Europe and became alarmed at the consequences of teaching [[Darwinian evolution]] as he was a devout evangelical. He grew concerned that this theory was the intellectual basis for the massive world wars, and that the theory led to an erroneous view that human races must inevitably fight with each other for survival of the fittest. He feared another world war. |
| − | He argued for the prosecution in the [[Scopes trial]] in in 1925, a case which he won. Already in poor health, he died five days after the trial while taking his afternoon nap after church.<ref>Larson, Edward J. (2006), Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial And America's Continuing Debate over Science And Religion, Basic Books, p. 199</ref> [[Bryan College]], a private Christian college located in Dayton, is named for him. | + | He argued for the prosecution in the [[Scopes trial]] in in 1925, a case which he won. Already in poor health, he died five days after the trial while taking his afternoon nap after church.<ref>Larson, Edward J. (2006), Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial And America's Continuing Debate over Science And Religion, Basic Books, p. 199</ref> [[Bryan College]], a private Christian college located in Dayton, is named for him. Unfortunately, [[liberal bias]] in plays such as ''[[Inherit the Wind]]'' have cast Bryan as not only the loser, but an ignorant man simply for sticking to logic and his beliefs. Modern Christians remember him for his valiant defense of Christianity in the face of [[deceit]] perpetrated by [[ACLU]] [[lawyer]] [[Clarence Darrow]]. |