On March 21, 1924, Governor Austin Peay signed the Butler Act, which made it illegal for public school teachers to teach evolution in Tennessee. The law would be challenged almost immediately, as the ACLU set up a test case, wherein science teacher John Scopes agreed to stand accused. What resulted is one of the most bizarre cases in American legal history.
First, the law forbade the teaching of evolution, despite the fact that the state-approved textbook had a section on evolution in it. Scopes couldn't recall teaching evolution, per se, but he did use the approved texbook, and remembered going over the relevant section with his class.
Next, the ACLU encouraged students to bring the accusation against their teacher, so he might be arrested and charged. Which he duly was.
Then, two of the most famous attorneys in the nation, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, descended on the tiny town of Dayton, Tennessee to try the case.
Then, Darrow for the defense took the rare step of calling Bryan for the prosecution to the stand as an expert witness, and questioned him about his belief in Biblical inerrancy.
Next, the defense asked the jury to find the defendant guilty.
On appeal, the Tennessee Supreme Court threw out the case on a technicality, as the judge had imposed a fine beyond the limit for judge-imposed fines allowed by Tennessee law. The Supreme Court took the further step of recommending the state not pursue the chargers further.
The defense was outraged at this, as they wanted to keep up the fight, but the Tennessee AG followed the court's recommendation, and dropped the charges.
Although Scopes in theory "won," and history widely views the trial as a victory for science, thanks to the strange procedural history, the goal of overturning anti-evolution laws was put on hold. It would be another 43 years before SCOTUS finally ruled such laws unconstitutional.
First, the law forbade the teaching of evolution, despite the fact that the state-approved textbook had a section on evolution in it. Scopes couldn't recall teaching evolution, per se, but he did use the approved texbook, and remembered going over the relevant section with his class.
Next, the ACLU encouraged students to bring the accusation against their teacher, so he might be arrested and charged. Which he duly was.
Then, two of the most famous attorneys in the nation, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, descended on the tiny town of Dayton, Tennessee to try the case.
Then, Darrow for the defense took the rare step of calling Bryan for the prosecution to the stand as an expert witness, and questioned him about his belief in Biblical inerrancy.
Next, the defense asked the jury to find the defendant guilty.
On appeal, the Tennessee Supreme Court threw out the case on a technicality, as the judge had imposed a fine beyond the limit for judge-imposed fines allowed by Tennessee law. The Supreme Court took the further step of recommending the state not pursue the chargers further.
The defense was outraged at this, as they wanted to keep up the fight, but the Tennessee AG followed the court's recommendation, and dropped the charges.
Although Scopes in theory "won," and history widely views the trial as a victory for science, thanks to the strange procedural history, the goal of overturning anti-evolution laws was put on hold. It would be another 43 years before SCOTUS finally ruled such laws unconstitutional.
