1. The Scopes Trial Fact. Vs. Fiction

2. INHERIT THE WIND Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee 1955 play
Written as a response to“the threat to intellectual freedom presented by the anti-communist hysteria of the McCarthy era.” “McCarthyism” = Senator Joseph McCarthy’s influence through the House Committee on Un-American Activities ( ), which peaked in the 1950s at the height of anti-Communist fervor

3. 1920s Precedents
1922 Kentucky teacher fired for teaching the students that the world is round.
1924 North Carolina- textbook banned for having picture of a man on the same page as a picture of an ape
1925 Introduced by John Butler, The Butler Act was a Tennessee state law that forbid any teacher in a public school to teach any theory denying Biblical account of creation or asserting that a man descended from a lower order (animals).

4. World Fundamentalist Association (WFA)
fundamentalism: a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to strict Christian life and teaching
movement to get 2/3 of states with anti-evolution bills/ then make amendment to constitution.

5. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Wanted to test Tennessee law
Volunteered their services in trial
Would finance defense of any Tennessee teacher who would test constitutionality
Offered financial assistance, legal advice, publicity

6. Who were involved? Play Name Actual Name
Matthew Harrison Brady William Jennings Bryan
Henry Drummond Clarence Darrow
Bertram T. Cates John Scopes
E. K. Hornbeck H. L. Mencken
Sarah Brady Mary Baird Bryan
Hillsboro Dayton, Tennessee
Other characters such as Rachel Brown and Rev. Jeremiah Brown are made up to add drama.

7. The Scopes Monkey Trial—1925
Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan

8. So, who were they anyway? Clarence Darrow
defense attorney famous for long closing arguments
just finished his successful defense of murderers Leopold and Loeb, two 17 year old boys who murdered a little kid
believed in truth and justice, even if it meant defending those he knew committed a crime
William Jennings Bryan
a prosecuting lawyer with deep religious beliefs
ran for president 3 times (1896, 1900, and 1908)
served 2 terms in the House of Representatives
Secretary of State under Wilson
died 5 days after the trial ended.

9. Who were they? John T. Scopes
Football coach/substitute teacher in Dayton, Tennessee
volunteered to be arrested for teaching evolution
The goal was a trial that would challenge the Butler Law, or the anti-evolution act.

10. Who were they? George Rappalyea H.L. Mencken
the man who wanted to bring the trial to Dayton
wanted to challenge the Christian Fundamentalists
outraged when, during a funeral for a six-year-old, Christian ministers condemned the boy to hell for not being baptized
contacted the press and the ACLU to get things started
sought out Scopes to be the catalyst for the trial.
H.L. Mencken
the Baltimore Sun journalist who covered the trial
Witty editorialist and opinion writer

11. Dayton During the Trial

15. Vocabulary
Atheist: one who believes that there is no higher power or deity.
Agnostic: one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god

16. Beliefs in God & Evolution
According to the Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey in 2007 (with a representative sample of 35,000 Americans), only 1.6% of Americans reported being atheists and 2.4% reported being agnostic (an additional .8% “didn’t know” or “refused” to answer).

17. Beliefs in God & Evolution

18. Beliefs in God & Evolution
A humble question: if the vast majority of Americans believe in God (more than 95%) and only 16% believe evolution is independent of God, why shouldn’t intelligent design be allowed in public schools as an alternative or compatible theory to evolution?
Who are we kidding? This is what Americans believe.