This book introduces readers to the "Trial of the Century," revealing how the trial originated, what caused and happened during and after the trial, what happened to the trial's participants, and why the trial still matters nearly 100 years later.
Ongoing controversies about school curricula, such as the teaching of Critical Race Theory and the role of parents in public education, can all be traced to the Scopes Trial. Today, the question remains: who controls the school curriculum? This was a foundational issue in the Scopes Trial, and we have been debating this question ever since. This book will help readers understand where these controversies originated and how courts, politicians, and the public handled these issues nearly a century ago.
Featuring new information from previously untapped sources and providing an in-depth study of John Scopes himself, this book interrogates the facts, fictions, and legend of the Scopes Trial, which historians rank as one of the defining events of the 20th century. It is an ideal resource for anyone interested in the ongoing controversy about evolution, science, and religion in education and American life.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introducing "The Trial of the Century"
Abbreviations
Chapter 1 Origins of the Fundamentalists' Crusade against Evolution
Chapter 2 Making It a Crime to Teach Evolution
Chapter 3 Pretrial Skirmishes
Chapter 4 The Duel Begins
Chapter 5 Convicting Scopes
Chapter 6 The Aftermath of the Scopes Trial
Chapter 7 Inherit the Wind
Chapter 8 Back to Court
Chapter 9 Whatever Happened To . . .
Chapter 10 Epilogue
Appendices
Appendix 1 Chronology of the Scopes Trial and Related Events
Appendix 2 The Passage and Repeal of the Butler Act in Tennessee
Appendix 3 Film Adaptations of Inherit the Wind
Appendix 4 Major Post-Scopes Legal Challenges Involving the Teaching of Evolution and Creationism
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Randy Moore, PhD, is professor of biology and H.T. Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
"Professor Randy Moore's monumental labors on this well-trodden path of history have produced a masterpiece of scholarship. Often venturing where no historian has gone before, his indefatigable gathering of facts gleaned from every possible source presents a story that enlightens, intrigues, and entertains. Result: A good read and reliable encyclopedic reference for anyone seeking any recondite aspect of the Scopes Trial."
– James Presley, PhD, Co-Author of Center of the Storm: Memoirs of John T. Scopes
"Well done, Randy Moore! Thank you for your exhaustive research, historical detail, and gifted storytelling of my family's history."
– Lisa Metzger Rennegarbe, Grandniece of John T. Scopes
"The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' gives an excellent description of the trial and its components. This book shows that this event is relevant even today, giving the reader a better understanding of the trial and those associated with it."
– Pat Guffey, Rhea County, Tennessee, historian