What were the arguments set out during the Scopes trial?

Question

Thank you.

Answer 1

There is extensive information here:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm

This includes actual excerpts from the trial transcripts.

Basically, Clarence Darrow, in defending John Scopes, argued that the Tennessee Evolution Statutes were unconstitutional based on the 1st Amendment's freedom of religion. He lost, BTW, and Scopes was fined $100.

Much of the prosecution's agument, including William Jennings Bryan's famous bombast, was Biblical in nature.

The Butler Act which prohibited the teaching of evolution actually remained on the Tennessee books until 1967 when it was overturned under the 1st Amendment.

Answer 2

My grandfather and my uncle covered this trial for two different newspapers. It was the joke of the century with H. L. Mencken assisting the Defense and William Jennings Bryan assisting the Prosecution. Mencken was a journalist; Bryan was a politician - neither were lawyers. Darrow, however, was a lawyer and one of the best in the country and I can't even tell you who the Prosecutor was even though I was raised only 30 miles down the road.

If you read H. L. Mencken's newspaper, or journal, article entitled IN MEMORIAM WJB (that may be spelled wrong), you will see how a curmudgeon could tear apart a man who was literally killed by testifying at a trial. Darrow put Bryan on the stand and started questioning him on his very right wing religion. In doing that, he knocked the firmness out of Bryan's religious beliefs and he died either the next day or the day after.

Answer 3

This trial took place in the old South. At the time it waas illegal to teach Darwin's theory of evolution in the public schools. 1 teacher did so and was put on trial for it. The accepted docturine of the time was the Bible and Creationism. Ultimately the teacher did loose the case but the penalty was so insignificant as to send out a message that it was time for a change in thinking and...perhaps there was room to look at both theories. The simple answer is Evolution vs Creationism.

Answer 4

during the scopes trial religion and the theory of evolution were put into question about being taught in school.

Answer 5

i belive that it was that the people in the united states were not good people and that they should not be here because they kicked out the native americans that were living here!!