Monkey Trial

Monkey Trial
By Denis Mueller

The streets of Dayton, Tennessee looked like a circus on July 11, 1925. All along Main Street banners covered the streets. The unfolding banners urged people to read their bible, which fell from the rooftops of buildings, while large posters of monkeys were nailed to the sides of wooden buildings or were taped to the windows. People sold the good book on the street-corners and foodstands that were set up throughout the town. They even imported real monkeys to add to the festivities. Clarence Darrow observed the scene as he entered Dayton. He was there for the trial of John Scopes, a substitute teacher, who was being charged with the teaching of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Evolution held that man had evolved from lower animals. But many of the people of Tennessee were strict Fundamentalists who believed in a very strict interpretation of the Bible and had pressured legislatures to pass an ordinance to make the teachings of Charles Darwin illegal. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was challenging the law and hired the world famous attorney to represent the defense. The prosecution hired former three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan. Ironically, Darrow had supported Bryan in 1896 and again in 1900 in his bid for the presidency. For this trial, the two former allies would face each other in what was billed at the time as the "Trial of the Century."

At stake during that hot July summer were unresolved questions regarding freedom of speech, separation of church and state, individual rights and, most importantly, what happens when science and religion disagree. The two famous lawyers squared off in what was both a circus and the most important trial of the century. The prosecution's case was that John Scopes had broken the law of Tennessee. Darrow argued that it was illegal for one religious group to dictate what is taught in the public schools. Judge John Raulston, for his part, was hardly an objective participant. He consistently ruled against the defense by refusing to let Darrow bring in witnesses to speak on behalf of Darwin's theory. The press was decidedly pro-evolution and wrote stories about the backwardness of the people of Tennessee.

What could Darrow do? Finally, he came up with a brilliant idea. He would call William Jennings Bryan to the stand as a defense witness and as an expert on the Bible. Bryan's friends begged him not to take the stand but Bryan was a politician and felt that he could handle anything Darrow threw at him. Darrow concentrated on Bryan's deeply held personal beliefs. Did Bryan really believe that Joshua made the sun stand still as the Bible said?

Bryan: I have never investigated the matter.

Darrow then asked if Jonah had been swallowed by a whale and then emerged unscathed?

Bryan: Yes, God could make man and fish do what he wanted.

Darrow then asked Bryan how old the earth was and Bryan replied that it was 5,925 years old. Darrow's questions began to make Bryan angry and he soon charged that Darrow was "trying to cast ridicule on everybody who believes in the Bible." Darrow kept asking questions and Bryan kept giving answers that were more and more ridiculous. Bryan claimed that according to the Bible, women's labor pains were caused by Eve's tempting Adam with an apple. Bryan was becoming ill at ease when Darrow got Bryan to admit that the earth probably took millions of years to create and not six days.

By the end of the day Bryan was a broken man who would die six days later. Darrow changed Scopes plea from not guilty to guilty and the judged fined him $100. The law stayed on the books but was never tested again. But the courtroom battle between these two legendary lawyers during that hot July summer had changed the face of the United States forever. Religion and science were separated in our public schools and teachers were able to teach Darwin's theories without the fear of reprisal from local communities.

Sources: Interview, Janet Hudsen, 1998
Interview; Miles Richard. 1998