The Scopes Monkey Trial

1. The Scopes Monkey Trial Essential Questions: Who were John T. Scopes, William Jennings Bryan, and Clarence Darrow and how do they relate to the Scopes Monkey Trial? How was fundamentalism impacting the nation and the trial? How did the trial end and how did it impact the nation? How did science and religion clash in the 1920s?

2. Science and Religion • Starting in 1920s a battled raged between religious groups & secular thinkers over the truths of science • Fundamentalism • Literal interpretation of Bible • Skeptical of science • Argued all knowledge can be found in the Bible • Bible was inspired by God • Stories were true in all details • Rejected the theory of evolution advanced by Charles Darwin

3. Fundamentalism • Fundamentalism expressed itself in several ways • South and West preachers led religious revivals based on the authority of the Scriptures • Fundamentalists biggest issue was the idea that humans had evolved from apes • They pointed instead to the Bibles account of creation • Said that God made the world and all its life forms in 6 days • Fundamentalist followers began to call for law prohibiting the teaching of evolution

4. Scopes, Darrow, and Bryan • 1925, Tennessee passed the first law that made it a crime to teach evolution • John T. Scopes, a young biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee challenged the law • Clarence Darrow, was hired by the ACLU to defend Scopes • William Jennings Bryan, a devout fundamentalist, served as a special prosecutor • There was no question over guilt or innocence – Scopes was guilty

5. Scopes Monkey Trail • Trial was a fight over role of science and religion in schools and society • Darrow called Bryan as a witness • Asked Bryan if he agreed with Usher’s calculation that Creation happened on Oct. 23, 4004 B.C.E • Darrow asked Bryan if he believed the “earth was made in six days?” • Said “Not six days of 24 hours” • Bryan admitted the Bible might be interpreted in different ways • Scopes was found guilty & fined $100