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I made these episodes a few years ago, but since it is the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey" trial, I thought we should revisit them!
Tennessee was the first state in the United States to crack down hard
on the teaching of evolution in public schools. Others had dabbled, but
Tennessee went all the way. The ACLU wanted to challenge the validity
of the case in the courts. In order to do that they needed an educator
to teach it, get busted, and be brought to trial.
At the same time, the town of Dayton, TN, needed a boost. After the
biggest employer closed down, it faced serious economic trouble. What if
the men of Dayon could manufacture a court case to draw the attention of
the nation? They found a young teacher named John Scopes and convinced
him to participate in their scheme. They booked Scopes, even though he
probably never taught evolution. The ACLU had its case.
Soon, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow hopped on board, and
it went from a publicity stunt to something for the history books. This
is the event that some historians (wrongly) point to as the death of
Christian fundamentalism in the United States until it was revived by
the Moral Majority. One man fighting for the biblical idea of creation
and another for godless atheism. But the real history is far more
complex.
Edward Larson, professor at Pepperdine University, joins us to
discuss the trial and his Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Summer for the
Gods”.
Helpful Sources:
Discussion Questions:
- What events led to the Scopes trial?
- Why did the ACLU feel they had to try the Tennessee Law?
- Who should decide what is taught in schools? Teachers? Parents? Lawmakers? Or some combination?
- What were William Jennings Bryan’s motives for joining the prosecution?
- What were Clarence Darrow’s motives for joining the defense?
- Should prayer be allowed before a trial about religion?
- Should Christians get involved in what is taught in schools? To what degree?
Dayton, Tennessee’s plan to boost tourism William Jennings Bryan’s crusade against Darwin
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