Scopes Monkey Trial: Evolution vs. Faith in Court
John Scopes was a 24-year-old high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, who agreed to test the state's Butler Act by teaching evolution from a civic biology textbook. The 1925 trial attracted legendary attorneys: William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow for the defense. H.L. Mencken covered it for the Baltimore Sun, mocking the town mercilessly. The climax came when Darrow called Bryan himself to the stand as an expert on the Bible, forcing the aging politician to defend a literal reading of Genesis under withering cross-examination. Scopes was convicted and fined $100, later overturned on a technicality. Bryan died five days after the verdict.
July 10, 1925
101 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on July 10
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