Scopes Monkey Trial
The most action Dayton Tennessee has Ever Seen
John Thomas Scopes
After the American Civil Liberties Union announced that it would finance a test case challenging the constitutionality of the Butler Act, John T. Scopes was approached to act as a defendant. As a big publicity stunt, Scopes would testify that although he wasn't allowed to teach the theory of evolution, he was required by law to teach the content of the textbooks, and evolution was in the textbooks. Scopes went as far as having his students testify against him, and coached them in their responses to questions asked by the grand jury.
Clarence Darrow
Scopes' defense attorney, Clarence Darrrow, claimed that the butler act was unconstitutional. The Butler act outlawed any theory or teaching that was against the theory of divine creation. Darrow's defense was produced mainly through questioning William jennings Bryan about the bible, and turning the public against him.
William Jennings Bryan
Serving as the persecutor in the Scopes trial, Bryan bases his argument off the bible, and the traditional values of religion. When confronted by Darrow, Bryan remained true to his religion, and justified all of his arguments through the bible. This eventually failed however; and the public sided more with Clarence Darrow.
Aftermath...
In the end of the trial, Scopes was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of $100. The trial however; left its mark on our society. A growing conflict between the worlds or science an religion has rapidly infiltrated its way into our everyday life. Now we are seeing more and more anti-evolution protests and an equal effort from the world of science.