The judges agreed that separate was not equal.  They wrote:  “Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children…A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn.”* This was not the first case against the segregation of schools, but this is the only case where the ruling was in favor of rejecting racial segregation.  “Racial segregation … ‘violates the 14^th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws.”** This ruling became a catalyst in the fight for civil rights. 

The Topeka Journal published an article entitled “8,000 Students Affected, State Officials See No Trouble Adjusting Schools to New Rule.”  This article points out statistics of African American students affected by the new ruling.  The Attorney General, Harold R. Fatzer, predicted that the Topeka schools and surrounding areas could be completely desegrated within two years.  He also comments on the fact that he nor anyone in his department had “defended or advocated” for segregation.  This quote causes me to think that Fatzer may be trying to “save face” in front of the nation and put a positive spin on this school district and other districts in Kansas.  The school district “in part” Fatzer says was already being desegregated and other districts in Kansas were also partly desegregating.  This article in general seems positive about the ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education.  The article does not go into detail about why the school district will have such little trouble considering how many students the ruling would be affecting.  I would be curious to read about the opinions of people in Kansas at this time of the ruling.

**Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research. 2004.  http://brownvboard.org/summary/.

*Lisa Cozzens. “Brown v. Board of Education.” 1995. http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/early-civilrights/brown.html.

            I feel that I have been convicted of violating an unjust statute. I will continue in    the future, as I have in the past, to oppose this law in any way I can. Any other      action would be in violation of my ideal of academic freedom—that is, to teach    the truth as guaranteed in our Constitution of personal and religious freedom. I   think the fine is unjust.*

On the Kansas Memory site, there are many cartoons and articles dealing with the trials and of teaching evolution.  In the Topeka Daily Capital, there is a cartoon entitled “All the World Watches Dayton”.  This cartoon emphasizes how the nation is watching and waiting to see what happens to the young teacher.  The people at this time can see the importance of the events and to see if more freedoms in the classroom will be granted.  On another issue of the Topeka Daily Capital, the focus of evolution is called “the question of the hour.”  The majority of the front page of this issue of the newspaper is covering evolution, religion, and the trials that took place.  Another political cartoon from the Emporia Gazette, shows how Dayton is gaining prominance and large monetary gain due to the popularity of the trials that are taking place.  This shows just how important this trial was to the people of the country at this time.

I think it is interesting to see how the nation was riveted on the outcome of the Scopes trials.  Academic freedoms I think were at stake.  Still today, there is controversy about whether or not Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution should be taught in public classrooms.  As a future teacher, my opinion is that the more knowledge one has the better one will be on making educated decisions about certain theories and beliefs.  

*Doug Linder. “John Scopes.” 2004. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/SCO_SCO.HTM

Accessed July 9, 2008.

            Young is encouraging voters to vote democratic in the upcoming campaign.  He suggests that the democratic platform is very similar to the populist platform and will make the populist supporters pleased.  He thinks the populist and democratic party should join together and be as one.  Young says that J. Mack Love, chairman of the Democratic state central committee, does not want to form a fusion party, however, has created a platform of populist ideals.  Populism ideals have permeated the democratic ideals is suggested by Young.  Populist supporters should find a home under democratic policies.  Young assures the public that voting democratic does not mean giving up the populist views, which is contrary to what the article is entitled. 

            This article is important because it shows the influence of the Populist Party on politics during this time period.  The Democratic Party is willing to adopt the Populist platform and support the same issues.  One can see the demise of the Populist Party due to the adoption of its beliefs by the democrats.  The fusion of these two parties shows the end of Populism, but also emphasizes the importance of Populism in the larger political scope.  In the 1902 election, the Populists did join the Democratic Party.

            Diggs moved to Lawrence, Kansas in 1873 where she married Alvin S. Diggs.  While in Lawrence, she began to attend a local Unitarian Church.  This church was the influential factor that pushed Diggs to her strong beliefs for equal rights.  In 1881, with the help of the Unitarians, Diggs joined the Liberal Union, which was considered by many a radical group.  In 1882, her and her husband began publishing a newspaper the Kansas Liberal.  The paper supported farmers, workers, and local people and protested for equal rights against the wealthy.

            Both Annie and her husband supported the Kansas Farmers’ Alliance.  This alliance consisted of Populist farmers that upheld the Populist motto, “Equal rights for all, special privileges for none.”* The Populist Party believed in women’s right to vote.  Political change could only happen if there were enough people to vote.  The farmers needed the votes to support their rights, in turn, supporting women’s right to vote. 

Diggs gained support and respect from her community while she published a weekly column in the Lawrence Journal.  She challenged the belief in the domestic role for women and “proved that women could be tough political organizers.”* In 1894, Diggs joined the Kansas suffrage campaign and soon became vice president of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association.  She published articles in the Farmer’s Wife newspaper in order to spread the idea of suffrage to small and rural communities around the state of Kansas.  The right to vote, however, would not be granted until 1912.  Through out this time, she worked hard to gain this right and was proud of her influence in Kansas.  Her reputation and esteem influenced the people to appoint her the state librarian of Kansas and president of Kansas Press Women. 

*http://www.museumoftheamericanwest.org/explore/exhibits/suffrage/anniediggs_full.html

            Land was very important to the settlers.  Society during this time period was based on agriculture.  In order to grow as a country, the people needed more land.  “The removal policy as a solution to the ‘Indian question’ depended on treaties negotiated under pressure and the existence of bodies of land thought unsuited for American agriculture located at the frontiers of the Louisiana Purchase next to Mexico”  (Miner, Craig. Kansas: the History of the Sunflower State, 1854-2000. 2002, University Press of Kansas. P34).  The change that was taking place in the country, such as the war with Mexico in 1848, expanded the United States.  This brought up the problem of the Native Americans’ lands and more removal of the Natives.  Land to the white settlers was something that could be “possessed.”  Owning land in this agricultural society was important to the status and success of the family.