In 1925, a substitute teacher named John Scopes became the focal point of one of the most
famous trials in American History. What was John Scopes placed on trial for? What was
the outcome of this case? Tennessee passed the Butler Act in 1925. This
law forbade public school teachers from teaching "the theory of evolution" in place of the
Biblical account of man's creation. The American Civil Liberties Union felt that this law was
in violation of the United States Constitution. In order to test the law in court, they sought
out science teachers who had been accused of violating the law.
John T. Scopes was a football coach at Rhea County High School in Dayton, Tennessee. While
substituting for the Biology teacher, he taught the chapter of the textbook which included
the theory of evolution. After much convincing from the ACLU, he agreed to be placed on trial,
in order to challenge the Butler Act. He was officially charged with violating the Butler
Act on May 5, 1925. He was placed under arrest, but immediately released after paying a $500
bail. When the case went to trial, both sides brought
in prominent and well-known attorneys to argue for their side. The Prosecution was represented
by former Secretary of State and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan.
Meanwhile, Scopes was defended by Clarence Darrow, who was one of the most well-known
lawyers of the 1920s. The two sides argued for eight days. The Defense
suggested that the law was unconstitutional, and that it violated not only teachers' individual
rights, but their academic freedoms as well. The Prosecution berated the public school
system for attempting to teach children that humans were essentially no different than
any other type of mammal. Bryan ridiculed the idea that humans were descended from monkeys.
At one point, Darrow even insisted that Bryan take the witness stand. The two men battled
back and forth over the factual merits of evolution, Biblical stories, and religion
in general. Meanwhile, the judge attempted to remind the jury that they were not there
to deliberate the constitutionality of the Butler Act, but merely to establish whether or
not John Scopes had violated the law. Journalists from all over the nation reported
on the trial, as more than two hundred newspapers covered the event. H.L. Mencken, the most
famous journalist of the era, wrote several different articles in which he scoffed at
the local residents, referring to them as yokels. The Scopes Trial also became the first
American trial to have an "on-the-scene" reporter giving live updates over the radio.
After an eight day trial, the jury reached its decision in nine minutes. They found John
Scopes guilty of violating the Butler Act, and he was fined $100 (this would be a fine
of well over $1,300 today!). The case was eventually appealed to the Tennessee State
Supreme Court, where the Butler Act was found to be constitutional. Scopes conviction was eventually tossed out on a technicality.
The Scopes Trial had several different ramifications. The trial had an immediate impact on public
school classrooms. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Biology textbooks eliminated references
to evolution, in an attempt to avoid controversy. Additionally, it highlighted the growing American
religious fundamentalist movement, as well as the changing American culture.
Today, the Scopes Trial is remembered as pivotal moment in American history. The Rhea County
Courthouse is preserved as a historical museum, and each year, the townspeople of Dayton,
Tennessee reenact the famous trial.