Judge John Raulston reads the decision, July 21, 1925. Getty // Bettman
Q1. The State of Tennessee v John Thomas Scopes, more commonly known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, took place 100 years ago this week. Scopes, a high school science teacher, was charged with violating Tennessee's 1925 Butler Act, which outlawed the teaching of human evolution in public schools.
The ACLU believed that the Butler Act infringed upon teachers' rights and academic freedom, and was therefore unconstitutional. The organization offered to back any defendant being prosecuted under the Act, with Scopes being the first to fit the bill.
Do you believe the Butler Act was unconstitutional, and do you think evolution or Creationism should be taught in public schools?
The ACLU believed that the Butler Act infringed upon teachers' rights and academic freedom, and was therefore unconstitutional. The organization offered to back any defendant being prosecuted under the Act, with Scopes being the first to fit the bill.
Do you believe the Butler Act was unconstitutional, and do you think evolution or Creationism should be taught in public schools?
(Image: The Anti-Evolution League at the Scopes Trial, July 1925. Wikimedia )
overall
custom
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Don't care
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Q2. Clarence Darrow represented Scopes on behalf of the ACLU, and as the trial progressed he made the case less about Scopes' rights and more about the battle within Protestantism between fundamentalists and modernists. Fundamentalists believed the word of God as revealed in the Bible took priority over all human knowledge, while modernists believed evolution could be consistent with religion.
The State's lawyer, William Jennings Bryan accepted framing the case along these lines, and even testified in the case as an expert on the Bible, though that testimony was ultimately ruled inadmissible.
Independent of what you believe about evolution being taught in schools, which view is closest to yours?
The State's lawyer, William Jennings Bryan accepted framing the case along these lines, and even testified in the case as an expert on the Bible, though that testimony was ultimately ruled inadmissible.
Independent of what you believe about evolution being taught in schools, which view is closest to yours?
(Image: Darrow (left) and Bryan during the trial, July 19, 1925 via Wikimedia )
overall
custom
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Bible takes priority over human knowledge
13%
13%
13%
25%
7%
3%
10%
8%
18%
11%
13%
Human knowledge compatible with Christianity
38%
39%
37%
35%
51%
38%
42%
29%
37%
49%
38%
Both
19%
25%
14%
36%
9%
5%
21%
19%
19%
17%
19%
Neither
29%
22%
35%
3%
30%
54%
27%
42%
25%
23%
29%
Don't care
1%
1%
0%
0%
3%
1%
0%
2%
0%
1%
Q3. The suit did not arise organically. Business interests in Dayton, TN convinced the school district that a trial on the Butler Act would bring much-needed publicity to the area, and asked Scopes to admit teaching evolution.
The plan worked, with an explosive topic and two very prominent advocates in Jennings Bryan and Darrow, combining to create a large national interest.
Chicago radio station WGN ran cables from Dayton to Chicago to broadcast the case live. WGN, its affiliates, and other stations made the case the first in the country to be aired coast to coast.
How familiar were you with the trial before today, and do you know its outcome? (After completion of the poll, click 'Additional Information' on the results page to learn the trial outcome.)
The plan worked, with an explosive topic and two very prominent advocates in Jennings Bryan and Darrow, combining to create a large national interest.
Chicago radio station WGN ran cables from Dayton to Chicago to broadcast the case live. WGN, its affiliates, and other stations made the case the first in the country to be aired coast to coast.
How familiar were you with the trial before today, and do you know its outcome? (After completion of the poll, click 'Additional Information' on the results page to learn the trial outcome.)
(Image: The case was front page news across the country, July 21, 1925 via San Francisco Chronicle)
overall
custom
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Don't care
1%
1%
1%
2%
2%
0%
0%
1%
2%
2%
1%
Scopes was found guilty, but the TN Supreme Court overturned the verdict on appeal. The Court upheld the result on the issues (found the Butler Act does not violate any constitutional rights) but reversed the decision on a technicality -- TN state judges could not set fines over $50, but Scopes ws fined $100 (the Butler Act specified $100 as the minimum fine). The jury should have determined the fine.
TN did not retry the case, and the Butler Act was repealed in 1967. In 1968, the US Supeme Court ruled bans on teaching evolution on religious grounds to be unconstitutional because they violate the Establishment Cuase of the 1st Amendment, which guarantees no religion (or anti-religion) shall be given preference by the government.
24% support Creationism
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