In the aftermath of World War I and following the campaigning of William Jennings Bryan several states introduced legislation prohibiting the teaching of evolution .
World War I is the Fundamentalist -- Modernist Controversy brought a surge of opposition to the idea of evolution .
In the aftermath of World War I , the Fundamentalist -- Modernist Controversy brought a surge of opposition to the idea of evolution , and following the campaigning of William Jennings Bryan several states introduced legislation prohibiting the teaching of evolution .