A.J.+Week+6

The first trial in the United States between creationism and evolution came about in the wake of a publicity stunt by some people in the town of Dayton, Tennessee. The town’s population had dwindled since the late 1800’s and town leaders had decided that the popularity of an evolution debate would put them back on the map. John Scopes was basically set up to take the entire creationist population on. “The conspirators summoned John Scopes, a twenty-four-year old general science teacher and part-time football coach, to the drugstore. As Scopes later described the meeting, Rappalyea said, "John, we've been arguing and I said nobody could teach biology without teaching evolution." Scopes agreed. "That's right," he said, pulling a copy of Hunter's Civic Biology--the state-approved textbook--from one of the shelves of the drugstore (the store also sold school textbooks). "You've been teaching 'em this book?" Rappalyea asked. Scopes replied that while filling in for the regular biology teacher during an illness, he had assigned readings on evolution from the book for review purposes. "Then you've been violating the law," Rappalyea concluded. "Would you be willing to stand for a test case?" he asked. Scopes agreed. He later explained his decision: "the best time to scotch the snake is when it starts to wiggle." Herbert and Sue Hicks, two local attorneys and friends of Scopes, agreed to prosecute.”(Linder) Now as far as I can see it Scopes had no choice but to defend what he had said after challenged. If he hadn’t done so, his credibility would have gone out the window and the creationists would believe they were correct. Now Scopes had to fight for his right to remain a free man by going to court and defending his ideas.

Many well known scientists were brought in to not only defend Scopes in court, but to also show the rest of the public what kind of ideas evolution held. This case became a public spectacle. “A carnival atmosphere pervaded Dayton as the opening of the trial approached in July of 1925. Banners decorated the streets. Lemonade stands were set up. Chimpanzees, said to have been brought to town to testify for the prosecution, performed in a side show on Main Street.”(Linder) There was also radio broadcasters set to give the rest of the country the news of what went on in the courtroom. This would be the first time that a case was broadcasted live. This case evolved from a little public spectacle to a major disturbance to the peace. People were hearing things that they had never heard before and some liked what they heard, while others despised it. Scopes was a brave man to stick his neck out and defend an idea that was being banned in fifteen of the states. His name became synonymous with evolution and whether the case was won or lost he would always be known as the one who defended evolution.

“On Thursday, July 16, the defense called its first witness, Dr. Maynard Metcalf, a zoologist from the Johns Hopkins University. The prosecution objected, arguing that the testimony was irrelevant to Scopes' guilt or innocence under the statue. Before ruling the prosecution's evidence, Judge Raulston decided to hear some of Dr. Metcalf's testimony about the theory of evolution. The testimony evoked Bryan's only extended speech of the trial. Bryan mocked Metcalf's exposition of the theory of evolution, complaining that the evolutionists had man descending "not even from American monkeys, but Old World monkeys." Dudley Malone countered for the defense, arguing in a thundering voice that the prosecution's position was borne of the same ignorance "which made it possible for theologians...to bring Old Galilee to trial." It was a powerful speech. Anti-evolution lawmaker [|John Butler] called it "the finest speech of the century." Members of the press gave Malone a standing ovation and most courtroom spectators joined in the sustained applause. The next day, Raulston ruled the defense's expert testimony inadmissible. Raulston's ruling angered Darrow. He said he could not understand why "every suggestion of the prosecution should meet with an endless waste of time, and a bare suggestion of anything that is perfectly competent on our part should be immediately overruled."”(Linder) This just goes to show how the testimony of an intelligent scientist could not sway the judge. The courtroom was entirely too biased towards the ideas of creationism. I’m sure that many of the jurors had never learned of evolution except from what the church said about it. With this unfair situation the defense asked for a charge of guilty in order to advance to the next level of the courts. On the next level the charge was reversed and Scopes was let off. Although little was gained in ending the debate between evolution and creationism, evolution was brought into the mainstream of public. This may have been the ultimate goal of Scopes when he agreed to go to trial on this issue. I sure believe that he wanted to get the word out. This may have been the planting of the seed for the public to open its eyes to the ideas of evolution. our page here.