Short Wave Evolution Went On Trial 100 Years Ago. Where Are We Now?
The Real Story Behind the Scopes 'Monkey Trial' Exposed
The 1925 Scopes Trial was not the dramatic courtroom battle it’s often remembered as, but a staged publicity event where the teacher John Scopes was used as a test case to challenge Tennessee's law banning the teaching of human evolution.
Scopes himself never really taught evolution; the trial was more of a public debate, featuring famous orators Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, and the jury quickly found Scopes guilty.
Contrary to popular belief, the trial didn’t lead to an immediate widespread acceptance of evolution; instead, it pushed the topic out of schools for decades, and even decades later, textbooks avoided the word "evolution," using phrases like "organic variation over time."
Today, while acceptance of human evolution has grown, a significant minority of Americans still reject it, reflecting ongoing cultural and worldview divides that were highlighted by the original trial.
Contrived Staging of Scopes Trial
- The Scopes trial was a staged event orchestrated by town leaders and the American Civil Liberties Union as a publicity stunt.
- John Scopes agreed to be the defendant even though he had not definitively taught evolution in class.
Scopes Trial Misconception
- Contrary to popular belief, John Scopes was quickly found guilty and did not win the trial.
- Both sides declared victory, but the trial mostly revealed the deep cultural divisions in America.
