• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Scopes Trial Centennial

Search

  • Homepage
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Darwin And His Detractors
  • The Monkey Trial
  • Scopes Centennial – Legacy and Reflection
  • William Jennings Bryan
  • Clarence Darrow
  • H.L. Mencken
  • Inherit The Wind

Scopes Centennial - Legacy and Reflection

Tennessee Passed A New ‘Monkey Bill’ In 2012. It’s Still In Force

April 22, 2025 by GSENKER

Tennessee 2012 Cover

https://youtu.be/dXv4Y_mcN4c?si=Z44DkHonk4e01hExThe 2012 Tennessee law shares some similarities with the law at the center of the Scopes Trial. Both laws reflect an attempt to restrict or influence the teaching of evolution in public schools. While the 1925 law directly prohibited the teaching of evolution, the 2012 law sought to create space for alternative viewpoints by … [Read more...] about Tennessee Passed A New ‘Monkey Bill’ In 2012. It’s Still In Force

The Scopes Trial In A Nutshell: Why Are We Still Talking About It?

March 8, 2025 by GSENKER

Why are we talking Cover 2

The Scopes Trial, often dubbed the “Scopes Monkey Trial,” stands as one of the most iconic legal battles in American history. This 1925 courtroom showdown wasn’t just about a high school teacher and a science lesson—it became a pivotal moment in the clash between modern science and traditional beliefs. But what exactly transpired during this trial, and why does it continue to … [Read more...] about The Scopes Trial In A Nutshell: Why Are We Still Talking About It?

Tennesssee Named A College After The Governor Who Banned Evolution

February 27, 2025 by GSENKER

Austin Peay University

On March 21, 1925, Tennessee Governor Austin Peay signed into law the Butler Act, a bill that prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools. He saw it as a routine measure—one that he believed would have little impact on the state’s education system. But within months, it would ignite a national controversy, culminating in the famous Scopes Trial. A century later, … [Read more...] about Tennesssee Named A College After The Governor Who Banned Evolution

Do You Believe In Evolution? GOP Presidential Debate, 2007

February 19, 2025 by GSENKER

2007 GOP Debate

On May 3, 2007, ten Republican candidates for president gathered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the first debate of the 2008 election cycle. The discussion covered expected conservative talking points—taxes, national security, and immigration—but one brief moment stood out: a simple yes-or-no question about evolution.Moderator Chris Matthews asked the candidates, … [Read more...] about Do You Believe In Evolution? GOP Presidential Debate, 2007

Getting Ready To Commemorate The Scopes Trial Centennial

January 30, 2025 by GSENKER

Scopes 100 Rhea County

Rhea County and the city of Dayton, Tennessee, are preparing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the historic Scopes Trial with a series of events and activities throughout 2025. The Scopes Trial, held in July 1925, was a landmark legal case that debated the legality of teaching evolution in public schools.  Centennial Celebrations and Events The centennial celebration, … [Read more...] about Getting Ready To Commemorate The Scopes Trial Centennial

Primary Sidebar

The Monkey Trial

Darrow Bryan Clay Liston

May 1925: Legal Heavyweights Bryan and Darrow Ready for Epic Courtroom Bout

In May 1925, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow agreed to take part in the historic Scopes “Monkey” Trial, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation between fundamentalist religion and evolutionary science. Their participation turned the trial into a national spectacle, highlighting the cultural clash of the era.  One might compare the hype leading up […]

More Posts from this Category

Darwin and His Detractors

1859-1925

1859 – Charles Darwin Publishes “On the Origin of Species” https://youtu.be/w56u2gv8XLs?si=aSrXBR_rMnf7yJDG 1860 – The Great Debate At Oxford University The Great Debate between Thomas Henry Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce occurred on June 30, 1860, at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. This debate was part of the British Association for the Advancement of Science […]

More Posts from this Category

William Jennings Bryan

Bryan Progressive or Demagogue

William Jennings Bryan – Progressive Or Demagogue?

  He was a progressive. He advocated for economic reforms, including the free coinage of silver, which he believed would help farmers and working-class Americans. As a leader of the Populist movement, he supported regulatory welfare state policies and stood for human rights. Bryan fought against monopolies, banks, and corruption, positioning himself as a defender […]

More Posts from this Category

Clarence Darrow

How Clarence Darrow Came To Join John Scopes’ Defense Team

Clarence Darrow was already one of the most famous defense attorneys in America by the time he joined the Scopes Trial. Born in 1857 in rural Ohio, he grew up in a household that valued free thought and intellectual inquiry. His father, a freethinker and skeptic, influenced Darrow’s lifelong distrust of organized religion and dogma. […]

More Posts from this Category

H.L. Mencken

Mencken and Evening Sun

Why H.L. Mencken Became the Iconic Voice of the Scopes Trial

Among the hundreds of journalists who descended upon Dayton, Tennessee, in July 1925 to cover the Scopes Monkey Trial, one name has endured above the rest: H.L. Mencken. While national newspapers and wire services sent seasoned correspondents, and even famous writers like Dorothy Parker and John Dos Passos observed the spectacle, it was Mencken’s razor-sharp […]

More Posts from this Category

Inherit The Wind

Gene Kelly As H.L. Mencken Inherit The Wind

Gene Kelly Portrays H.L. Mencken – ‘Inherit The Wind’

https://youtu.be/of5-UrqhtXA?si=oa5VOQd7krgp-3kH   Gene Kelly as E.K. Hornbeck: Bringing H.L. Mencken to Life in Inherit the Wind When Inherit the Wind (1960) was released, audiences met E.K. Hornbeck, a sharp-tongued journalist covering the Scopes Monkey Trial. Played by Gene Kelly, Hornbeck was a thinly disguised version of H.L. Mencken, the real-life reporter who covered the actual […]

More Posts from this Category

Scopes Centennial – Legacy and Reflection

Tennessee 2012 Cover

Tennessee Passed A New ‘Monkey Bill’ In 2012. It’s Still In Force

https://youtu.be/dXv4Y_mcN4c?si=Z44DkHonk4e01hEx The 2012 Tennessee law shares some similarities with the law at the center of the Scopes Trial. Both laws reflect an attempt to restrict or influence the teaching of evolution in public schools. While the 1925 law directly prohibited the teaching of evolution, the 2012 law sought to create space for alternative viewpoints by […]

More Posts from this Category