Scopes Trial

In the Scopes Trial is a trial before a court in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925, in which a law passed in the same year the law was tested, which forbade to teach theories that contradict the Bible in relation to the history of mankind. Because the teacher John Thomas Scopes had taught the theory of evolution in public schools, he was sentenced in the Scopes Trial to $ 100 fine. The Scopes trial was also known under the name of Scopes Monkey Trial ( monkeys process).

Prehistory

After the First World War, a self- designating as fundamentalism conservative Christian movement had gained considerable influence in the United States. This movement, which is likely attributable to the evangelicalism as fundamentalism by today's terms, rejected the theory of evolution and argued that the Bible should be understood literally concerning the creation. The influence of the movement went far enough that in the states of Florida, Oklahoma and Tennessee laws were passed that forbade the teaching of the biblical theory of creation divergent views in public schools. The measure adopted in Tennessee on March 13, 1925 Act ( Butler Act ) was about the only one that contained a penal provision. The American Civil Liberties Union offered to take over the process costs for anyone who would prosecuted under this law.

A group of businessmen from Dayton (Tennessee ) held a trial in this matter they are likely to make their city better known. They persuaded the biology teacher John T. Scopes to can be prosecuted for this law. Scopes taught in April 1925 on the basis of not prohibited by the State of Tennessee textbook " Civic Biology" by Hunter in a lesson at the Rhea County High School, the theory of evolution. An insider citizens reimbursed then display.

The process

The process attracted considerable attention. Thus, about 120 journalists had applied to track the process. Also about 100 preachers of various sects and churches went to Dayton to preach there. Was in the town to get to the beginning of the process, no more accommodation. The city of Dayton had 1,800 inhabitants, the climax of the process, an estimated 5,000 persons held in the city on. Overall, the place was like a fair, to which, among other trained chimpanzees were shown.

The method should, under the chairmanship of Judge John T. Raulston, a deeply religious man, take place. The indictment in the process was represented, among others, by the Attorney General of the State of Tennessee, she was assisted by the politician William Jennings Bryan, one of the main representatives of fundamentalism. Scopes should be defended, among others, by the noted New York lawyers Arthur Garfield Hays, Dudley Field Malone and the lawyer Clarence Darrow of Chicago in the process. The main enemy in this process were Scopes ' attorney Darrow and the assistant prosecutor, William Jennings Bryan. The defense argued the law is contrary to the conditions laid down in the Constitution, separation of church and state and freedom of religion. They also claimed that the theory of evolution does not conflict with the Bible. For the latter, they wanted to summon a variety of scientists as experts who would come to this end, in or near Dayton.

Course of the process

On 10 July 1925, the process with a jury selection began. The jury should ultimately from six Baptists, Methodists four, a Campbellite Disciples of Christ and a person who belonged to no church, are made. It was read to the jury the law and the first chapter of Genesis. The jurors were instructed by the presiding judge that they would not have to rule on the correctness of the law but only whether Scopes had violated the law.

On the second day of the trial, July 13, requested the defense, it should be noted that the Butler Act was contrary to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee. The jury was then dismissed for the time being. Both sides then negotiated on the constitutionality of the law. As part of the negotiations, the defense complained on July 14 for the first time in the habit of the court to open the respective negotiations by the prayer of a priest. The complaint was justified, prayer influencing the outcome of the process in which it also go to the relationship between science and religion. John T. Raulston had the - back complaint - also repeated in the course of the process. He wanted only the clergy alternate. At the same time in the reporting of a news agency had been notified, Raulston would the objection that the law was unconstitutional, dismissed. The judge then ordered an investigation because he suspected that the press had obtained this information illegally and thus violated the dignity of the court. It should turn out that a young journalist was able to close the information from statements made by the judge himself. Raulston rejected the request of the defense finally starting. He justifies this by saying that will, dictated by the determination to teach the biblical story of creation in public schools anyone that religious belief he should follow. Also, the State of Tennessee force anyone to go to his school service.

On 15 July, the procedure was continued before the jury and presented the indictment. Then the school principal and two students were heard as witnesses if Scopes taught the theory of evolution, which is confirmed by the witnesses. On the part of the defense of the first expert was called for reconciling biblical representations of scientific knowledge, the professor of zoology at Johns Hopkins University Maynard Metcalf. The prosecution requested not to admit the expert because his testimony was irrelevant to the process. This was followed on July 16, a day of the trial, in which both sides of their views for the need to consult experts darlegten. To the prosecution, Bryan argued the argument that scientists only verträten their theory, but it does not arrive in the case of the different theories, but the law. The position of the defense was presented by Dudley Field Malone in particular. Malone initially protested against the accusation, not to be religious, because he is a Christian, for his part ( Malone took as a Catholic, not literally the book of Genesis and had no problems with evolution). Then he pointed out that the statements of the Bible are partly allegorical, partly historical descriptions and partly moral commandments. The Bible stand with proper understanding not inconsistent with scientific findings. What matters, therefore, also on the scientific understanding. On July 17, the presiding judge decided not to allow experts. Thus were the two main points of the defense strategy - unconstitutionality of the law and the attack of the scientific side - canceled. As Darrow then pulled the neutrality of the court in doubt, threatened him a conviction for contempt of court, but that he was able to escape through an apology the following day.

Darrow then called the assistant prosecutor of Bryan on the witness stand. He should be heard on the question of what the Bible says and the age of the earth. Although he has been advised by the judge that he would not testify and were also the other prosecution against the statement that Bryan was a on the cross-examination. This cross-examination, in which Bryan became embroiled in contradictions, was the culmination of the process.

Scopes was sentenced to 100 dollar fine, but later acquitted by the Supreme Court of Tennessee on a technicality.

Finally, the dramatic running cross-examination contributed to the nationwide awareness of the process, the model of two films was. It is also the journalist HL Mencken of the Baltimore Sun did forth. The process was seen mainly in the north of the USA as a disgrace for the fundamentalists, while these, which were particularly strong in the South, Bryan regarded as martyr and found themselves strengthened in their position. Although there were no other processes in the matter instead of, but in many other states have similar laws have been applied, in Mississippi and Arkansas with success. The underlying law in Tennessee was not lifted until 1967.

Commemoration

Because the process was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977, the Rhea County Courthouse of 1891. It was founded in 1979 in Dayton has its own museum, dedicated to the case, the Scopes Trial Museum.

Picking up the process in the culture

Free inspired by the Scopes trial is the stage play Inherit the Wind (1955 ) by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. This piece with a clear side view of the McCarthy era was enthusiastically received by critics and audiences and won the Donaldson Award and numerous other awards. In 1960 there was Stanley Kramer with Spencer Tracy ( Darrow, here: Drummond ), Fredric March ( Bryan, here: Brady ) and Gene Kelly ( Mencken, here: Hornbeck ) filmed ( German: Inherit the Wind ). The film is widely used in American public schools in the classroom. Several remakes documenting the continuing interest: in 1988 with Jason Robards and Kirk Douglas in 1999 starring Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott.