The January 2009 issue of Scientific American (devoted to Evolution), contains an article called “The Latest Face of Creationism” by two of the directors of the National Center for Science Education. The article also contains a compact time line of the battle between evolution and creationism that has played out over the past 100 years in public schools and courthouses across the country. “It highlights the way creationist tactics have shifted in response to evolution’s advances in classrooms and to court rulings that have banned religious proselytizing in public schools.”

It is actually quite interesting to see how creationist or anti-evolutionist strategies have evolved over time in response to a series of defeats and setbacks. So, for your reading pleasure, here is the Scientific American time line:

Late 1910s and early 1920s:
As high school attendance rises, more American students become exposed to evolution.

1925:
Butler Act in Tennessee outlaws teaching of human evolution. Teacher John T. Scopes is prosecuted and convicted under the law, although the conviction is later overturned on a technicality.

1958:
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) is founded with funds from a federal government concerned about science education in the wake of Sputnik. BSCS’s textbooks emphasize evolution, which was largely absent from textbooks after the Scopes trial; commercial publishers follow suit.

1968:
Supreme Court rules in case of Epperson v. Arkansas that laws barring the teaching of evolution in public schools are unconstitutional. Teacher Susan Epperson is shown at the left in 1966.

1981:
Louisiana passes the Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science in Public School Instruction Act. Also in the 1980s legislators in more than 25 states introduce bills calling for “creation science” to have equal time with evolution.

1987:
Supreme Court rules in the case of Edwards v. Aguillardthat the Louisiana Balanced Treatment Act violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

1989:
Of Pandas and People, the first book systematically to use the term “intelligent design” is published; it touts the notion as an alternative to evolution.

2001:
Passage of the No Child Left Behind Act cements the importance of state science standards, which have become a new battleground between creationism and evolution (because inclusion of evolution in science standards increases the likelihood that evolution will be taught).

2005:
Decision in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District rules that teaching intelligent design in the public schools is unconstitutional. The photograph at the right captures plaintiff Tammy Kitzmiller during a break from the trial.

June 2008:
Governor Bobby Jindal signs the Louisiana Science Education Act into law. Marketed as supporting critical thinking in classrooms, the law threatens to open the door for the teaching of creationism and for scientifically unwarranted critiques of evolution in public school science classes.

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In brief, creationists of various stripes have moved from outlawing evolution, to demanding equal-time for “creation-science,” to pushing for “intelligent design,” to finally “teaching the controversy” or including evidence both for and against evolution in science curricula. Clearly, the tactic involved has become less and less extreme as they continue to achieve set back after set back. The latest tactic involves pushing school boards to modify science standards to subtly change the definition of science (so that it is not restricted to natural explanations) and introduce language in the biology sections that stresses that “weaknesses” to Darwin’s theory of evolution must be taught alongside its “strengths.”

These tactics, of course, have conceded a lot but at the same time not much. How far will this latest round go? Time will tell.

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