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. After briefly attending law school, Darrow was admitted to the bar and quickly gained a reputation as a brilliant, unconventional lawyer.
Darrow first gained national attention in labor law, defending striking workers and radicals, including figures associated with the Pullman Strike of 1894. Later, he took on some of the most sensational criminal cases of the early 20th century, including the defense of thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in 1924. Throughout his career, he became known for his passionate speeches against the death penalty and his unwavering commitment to civil liberties. The Scopes Trial would become another defining chapter in his storied career.
Initial Defense Plans and Darrow’s Entry
Initially, the ACLU sought to frame the case as a constitutional challenge and enlisted prominent legal scholars, including John Neal, a professor from the University of Tennessee. However, as national attention grew, so did the stakes. Clarence Darrow, already renowned as America’s most famous defense attorney, followed the case with great interest.
Darrow had long been an outspoken opponent of fundamentalism and a staunch advocate of individual liberty. However, it was William Jennings Bryan’s involvement in the prosecution that ultimately drew Darrow into the case. The two men had clashed publicly for years over issues of science, religion, and civil liberties. Bryan, a devout Christian and three-time presidential candidate, saw the trial as an opportunity to defend biblical literalism and combat what he saw as the moral decline brought on by Darwinism. When Darrow learned that Bryan would be leading the prosecution, he saw an opportunity to engage in a direct ideological battle.
Despite the ACLU’s concerns that Darrow’s combative style might shift the focus away from the constitutional issues, he ultimately took center stage. Darrow formally joined the defense in early June 1925, just weeks before the trial began. His presence instantly transformed the case into a national spectacle, setting the stage for an unprecedented legal and philosophical showdown.
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