Scopes trial

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The story of the trial became a part of the ongoing debate about the teaching of evolution and creation in science classes. It was also written up as a play, ''Inherit the Wind'', which was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck. the Butler Act was finally repealed in 1967.
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The story of the trial became a part of the ongoing debate about the teaching of evolution and creation in science classes. It was also written up as a play, ''Inherit the Wind'', which was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck. The Butler Act was finally repealed in 1967.
  
 
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Revision as of 09:45, 26 April 2009

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The Scopes trial (State v. Scopes, Scopes v. State, 152 Tenn. 424, 278 S.W. 57 (Tenn. 1926)) was a famous test of the evolution vs creation debate.

Contents

Background

Tennessee's Butler Act had it unlawful, in any state-funded educational establishment in Tennessee, "to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." The Act was opposed by the ACLU, who funded a test case: high school teacher John Scopes intentionally broke the law by teaching evolution in a science class and was put on trial.

The trial

The case attraced national and international publicity, with two of America's greatest lawyers of the time, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, facing each other. Bryan revealed a poor knowledge of science, believing that there are 35,000 mammal species, and took offence that our monkey ancestors "weren't even American monkeys". Bryan was also called upon to provide expert evidence on the Bible (as a self-declared believer). He accused Darrow of plotting ""to cast ridicule on everybody who believes in the Bible," to which Darrow responded "We have the purpose of preventing bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States."

The verdict

The Jury deliberated for nine minutes and found Scopes guilty. He was fined a hundred dollars by the Judge (even though Tennessee judges could not levy fines higher than $50 at the time).

Aftermath

The story of the trial became a part of the ongoing debate about the teaching of evolution and creation in science classes. It was also written up as a play, Inherit the Wind, which was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck. The Butler Act was finally repealed in 1967.

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