Background
John T. Scopes
In the years leading up to the trial, John T. Scopes worked as a football coach and teacher at Rhea County High School in Dayton, Tennessee. In 1925, the Butler Act was passed in Tennessee that prohibited public school teachers from teaching the evolution of man, or Darwin's Theory of Evolution. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that it needed a teacher to serve as the defendant in a test case that would challenge the constitutionality of the Butler Act. Scopes volunteered to be the defendant, and thus, he was charged on May 5, 1925 for violating the Butler Act. The image on the right is a portrait of John T. Scopes taken in 1925, from the Of Monkeys and Men: Private and Public Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection.
Images of Dayton, Tennessee
The image on the left shows a postcard depicting the Dayton County Court House that the residents and visitors of Dayton could send to their familiars in 1925. More images that show what the town looked like at the time can be found in the Of Monkeys and Men: Private and Public Views from the Scopes Trial and Volunteer Voices digital collections.
Archival Collections on the Trial
The John R. Neal Papers collection consists of correspondence, books, and memorabilia from Neal's career.
The William Jennings Bryan Papers collection includes ephemera from Jennings Bryan's political career.
The Neal and Wheelock Family Papers collection includes transcripts of the trial and other related documents.
The Robert K. Kyle Scopes Trial collection consists of news clippings, letters, photographs, and other Scopes Trial related content.
Great Smoky Mountains
Knoxville experienced significant traffic of lawyers, scholars, news correspondents, and the general public on their way to Dayton, Tennessee for the Scopes Trial in July of 1925. The Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association (GSMCA) hosted prominent attorneys and members of the press at City National Bank in Knoxville throughout the month of July to entice them to spend time in the Smokies. The GSMCA saw the Scopes Trial as "a striking opportunity" to attract attention to the area and show off its industrial advances and wealth of natural resources.
The Two Sides of the Trial
The Scopes Trial attracted the attention of high-profile lawyers who flocked to Dayton to take part in and/or observe the trial. Clarence Darrow, a lead member of the ACLU and prominent defender of trade unions, served as the defense attorney for Scopes. Darrow identified himself as an agnostic, and he argued that creationism and evolution could reinforce one another, which allowed for them both to be taught in schools. Other prominent lawyers on the side of the defense included John Neal, Arthur Garfield Hays, and Dudley Field Malone. On the side of the prosecution, former Secretary of State and leading anti-evolution activist William Jennings Bryan argued for the banning of Darwinism and teachings around evolution in public schools. Lawyers such as Herbert Hicks, Sue K. Hicks, and Wallace Haggard joined Jennings Bryan in his prosecution of Scopes. The Of Monkeys and Men: Public and Private Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection contains many images of the key players on both the defense and prosecution team, along with their notes, drafted arguments, and other trial related documents.
Leading Figures
Bryan Arriving in Dayton
Image depicts the arrival of William Jennings Bryan (far right, holding bag) in Dayton. Herbert Hicks stands to the left of Jennings Bryan, with his arms crossed.
From the Of Monkeys and Men: Public and Private Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection, 1925
Clarence Darrow
Image of defense attorney Clarence Darrow, circa 1925.
From the Of Monkeys and Men: Public and Private Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection, 1925
'Majorgraphs' From the Tennessee Evolution Trial
Image of a poster print depicting caricatures of trial figures.
From the Of Monkeys and Men: Public and Private Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection, 1925
John R. Neal
Image of John R. Neal, defense lawyer for Scopes.
From the Of Monkeys and Men: Public and Private Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection, 1925
The Scopes Monkey Trial
The image above shows the monkey Joe Mendi, a popular "mascot" for the Scopes Trial. As publicity for the trial spread, journalists and others associated with the press often misinterpreted Darwin's theory of evolution. In his theory, Darwin stated that humans and apes share a common ancestor, not that man had descended from apes. The latter became the predominant interpretation, which led to a surge of monkey-themed dolls, songs, and other souvenirs popping up around Dayton. Joe Mendi was a chimpanzee trained to entertain crowds through piano performances and dances, and he was photographed doing so throughout the trial.