The Scopes Monkey Trial

An account of the "trial of public school teacher John Thomas Scopes for teaching the theory of evolution in class 'held in July 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee.'" -- Library Journal.

Media coverage at the time of the Scopes trial was far from accurate. This book sets the record straight, revealing how inaccuracies distorted the view of the Christian faith.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the Scopes Trial and the battle over evolution and creation in America's schools In the summer of 1925, the sleepy hamlet of Dayton, Tennessee, became the setting for one of the twentieth century's most contentious courtroom dramas, pitting William Jennings Bryan and the anti-Darwinists against a teacher named John Scopes, represented by Clarence Darrow and the ACLU, in a famous debate over science, religion, and their place in public education. That trial marked the start of a battle that continues to this day-in cities and states throughout the country. Edward Larson's classic Summer for the Gods -- winner of the Pulitzer Prize in History -- is the single most authoritative account of this pivotal event. An afterword assesses the state of the battle between creationism and evolution, and points the way to how it might potentially be resolved.

One of the most famous trials in U.S. history took place in a tiny town in Tennessee in 1925. Dayton was the site of what became known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. The defendant, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating a recently passed state law. This law made it illegal to teach the theory of evolution. Under most circumstances, few people would have paid any attention. Several of Dayton's leading citizens saw a chance to put their town on the map. They were successful. Two of the country's most famous people-William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow-soon became involved. Dozens of reporters poured into Dayton from all over the country. It was the first trial to receive live media coverage. Scopes was found guilty. He had to pay a small fine. But the issues about evolution that the trial raised are still debated today. Book jacket.

After the passage of the Butler Act, which made it unlawful for a state-funded school in Tennessee to teach that humans evolved from lower organisms, 24-year-old high school teacher John Scopes intentionally violated the law. Arrested and charged on May 5, 1925, Scopes became the centerpiece in a trial that pitted two of the finest legal minds of the time against one another. Prosecutor William Jennings Bryan's participation in the trial served as the capstone to his prior unsuccessful advocacy to cut off funds to schools that taught evolution. Prominent trial attorney Clarence Darrow, an agnostic, spoke for the defense. This case, which was the first to be broadcast via radio, was a critical turning point in the creation vs. evolution controversy that continues today. The Scopes Monkey Trial has since been fictionalized in a play, a film, and three television films, all called Inherit the Wind. The Scopes Monkey Trial: Debate over Evolution explains how this pivotal court case shaped the way evolution and creationism are approached in classrooms.

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*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the trial and excerpts from it *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "I never had any idea my bill would make a fuss. I just thought it would become a law, and that everybody would abide by it and that we wouldn't hear any more of evolution in Tennessee." - John Washington Butler In the early 20th century, Darwin's theory of evolution was still a relative novelty, but it had spurred some Americans to react by preventing it from being taught in schools, including in Tennessee, which passed the Butler Act to prohibit teaching the theory in a state-funded school. This set the stage for proponents of the theory to challenge the law by having a teacher bring up Darwin's theory in a classroom, which is how a little known substitute teacher named John Scopes had his name attached to one of the most famous cases in American history. Although it is best known as the Scopes Trial or Scopes Monkey Trial even 90 years later, the case was intentionally created as a test case, and from the beginning it was meant to draw attention not just to the issue but to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee itself. In that, it succeeded, not simply because the case was important but because it brought William Jennings Bryan, one of America's most famous politicians, to participate. Bryan would square off against renowned lawyer Clarence Darrow, who would represent Scopes in the proceedings. While the case was technically challenging a law and proceeded like a normal trial, including an appeal to Tennessee's Supreme Court, the Scopes Monkey Trial was essentially a national debate on theology, science, and each one's place in the classroom. The trial is best known not necessarily for the results but for the rhetorical arguments that were made on each side, and for the manner in which Darrow and Bryan squared off. In perhaps the most famous scene of the entire affair, Darrow actually cross-examined Bryan himself. Naturally, the case was politically charged on all sides, and even the judge was conspicuously biased against Scopes' defense, but Scopes successfully appealed the fine at the Tennessee Supreme Court. Still, the issue remained heated even after, especially when Bryan died shortly after the trial. The Scopes Monkey Trial: The History of 20th Century America's Most Famous Court Case analyzes the background and proceedings of the case. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Scopes Monkey Trial like never before.

Looks at the historic 1925 trial in which a Tennessee high school biology teacher was accused of violating state law by teaching Darwin's theory of evolution, and discusses the impact on America.