Reporters assembled from as far away as London and Hong Kong. Mencken chronicled the trial for the Baltimore Sun. Years later, the U. Supreme Court struck down a similar Arkansas law in Epperson v. Arkansas , finding that it violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.
This article was originally published in James C. Larson, Edward J. Cambridge, Mass. Moran, Jeffrey P. Scopes Monkey Trial [electronic resource]. Other articles in Events.
Want to support the Free Speech Center? Donate Now. Wells was approached early on to present the case for evolution, but he turned down the offer. Clarence Darrow — a famous attorney who had recently acted for the defense in the notorious Leopold and Loeb murder trial — found out about the Scopes trial through journalist H. Mencken , who suggested Darrow should defend Scopes. Darrow and Bryan already had a history of butting heads over evolution and the concept of taking the Bible literally, sparring in the press and public debates.
It was the only time in his career he offered to give free legal aid. Bryan and Darrow set the tone by immediately attacking each other in the press. The ACLU attempted to remove Darrow from the case, fearing they would lose control, but none of these efforts worked. The grand jury met on May 9, In preparation, Scopes recruited and coached students to testify against him.
Three of the seven students attending were called to testify, each showing a sketchy understanding of evolution. The case was pushed forward and a trial set for July Bryan arrived in Dayton three days before the trial, stepping off a train to the spectacle of half the town greeting him. He posed for photo opportunities and gave two public speeches, stating his intention to not only defend the anti-evolution law but to use the trial to debunk evolution entirely.
The trial day started with crowds pouring into the courthouse two hours before it was scheduled to begin, filling up the room and causing onlookers to spill into the hallways. There was applause when Bryan entered the court and further when he and Darrow shook hands. The trial began — somewhat ironically — with a lengthy prayer.
Outside the courthouse a circus-like atmosphere reigned, with barbecues, concessions and carnival games, though that died down as the trial was adjourned for the weekend, over which Bryan and Darrow sparred through the press and tensions mounted. It was to a packed courthouse on Monday that arguments began by the defense working to establish the scientific validity of evolution, while the prosecution focused on the Butler Act as an education standard for Tennessee citizens, citing precedents.
The statement Darrow made is considered an example of his best passionate public speaking. He spoke for over two hours. The trial itself began on Wednesday with opening statements. Witnesses followed, establishing that Scopes had taught evolution and zoologist Maynard M. Metcalf gave expert testimony about the science of evolution, a signal that Scopes himself would not take the stand during the trial. Subsequent days saw prosecutors argue about the validity of using expert witnesses. This provided Bryan with the opportunity for an extended speech on the subject.
Defense attorney Dudley Field Malone then countered with a speech of his own and received a thunderous standing ovation. The next day, the judge ruled that any experts on the stands could be cross-examined. That night, Darrow quietly prepared to call Bryan as an expert witness on the Bible. Calling Bryan to the stand was a shock for the court.
Darrow interrogated him on interpreting the Bible literally, which undercut his earlier sweeping religious speeches.
This prevented Bryan from making a closing statement. After the trial, Bryan immediately began to prepare his unused closing statement as a speech for his rallies. What brought the conflict between the teaching of evolution and religious fundamentalism to a head? William Jennings Bryan saw the Scopes Trial as a conflict between what? What trail caused conflict between religion and science? Who was on trial in the scopes monkey trial? What brought the conflict between the teaching of the theory of evolution and religious fundamentalism to the public's attention?
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