Heimlich's History: Engel v. Vitale Supreme Court Case

Overview

Topic: Landmark Supreme Court case, Engel v. Vitale.
Purpose: Understand the implications of this case on the separation of church and state within the AP Government curriculum.

Year: 1962
Practice Challenged: New York Board of Regents composed a non-denominational prayer to be recited by school children after the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Prayer Text: "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country."
Opt-out Option: Children could be excused from reciting the prayer with parental permission.
Challenge: Led by Stephen Engel, a group of parents argued against the practice.

Primary Concern: Violation of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which prohibits the establishment of religion by Congress.
Relevance of the 14th Amendment: Applies the First Amendment to the states, not just the federal government, thus extending the protection against establishing religion.

Question: Does a state-sponsored prayer in schools violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?
Ruling: In a 6-1 decision, the court ruled that the prayer did violate the First Amendment.
- Majority Opinion by Justice Hugo Black: Emphasized that the First Amendment was intended to prevent government influence over prayer.
- Dissent by Justice Potter Stewart: Argued that the practice was constitutional, offering students the chance to share in the nation's spiritual heritage without establishing a religion.

Individual Liberties vs. Social Order: The ruling favored individual liberties by preventing government-endorsed prayer in schools.
Subsequent Impact:
- Set precedent for future cases regarding religious activities in schools.
- Cited in cases such as Wallace v. Jaffree (1985) and regarding clergy-led prayer at school events.
Long-term Influence: Influenced the ongoing relationship between government and religion.

This case is pivotal in understanding the legal boundaries of religious practices in public institutions.
Additional resources and videos are available for further study on related Supreme Court cases.

Further Learning: Review packets and more video resources are available for students to secure better understanding and performance in their exams.
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