SCOPES MONKEY TRIAL: SCENE 1: ROBINSONS DRUG STORE (Credit to Evan Jones) Narrator: In 1925, Tennessee passed a law

that prohibited teachers within the state from denying the Christian biblical accounts on the creation of man and teaching evolutionary theory to their students. This law is known as the Butler Act, and in the small town of Dayton, a man named John Scopes would challenge it in an unforgettable spark in the beginning of the war that is evolutionism versus creationism. Dayton, Tennessee, Robinsons Drug Store, spring 1925: George W. Rappleyea, Mayor, and Dayton Education Superintendent are discussing plans over coffee to challenge the Butler law. Superintendent: Its going to affect our whole education plan! How can they do this to us, no, our children who will never properly understand the natural world? Mayor: I understand your frustration but the law is the law. Superintendent: So what? Half our country is just supposed to be scientifically blind?! I wont stand for this! Mayor: We dont have any options unless you want to live in debt your whole life for paying fines to the county. Is Darwins theory really that important to you? That your grandchildren and their children will be paying your debts that youve racked up your whole life for your ideals? George: Maybe that isnt such a bad idea Mayor: (Laughs) Well, that is something George, but how do you, a coal miner, intend to pay for all of this? George: Manager of engineering actually, sir, and I dont intend to pay for any of it. Mayor: So enlighten us all then, Mr. Rappleyea, on how your plan will work without dropping a dime? George: Well sir, you see we only need one man. Mayor: One man?

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George: Yes sir, one man. One man to teach evolution, one man to be tried for it, and one man to gain support for it. Sir I believe we need to put a face to this cause, just like every cause before it has had a face to believe in. Mayor: Mr. Rappleyea, you have my undivided attention. Please continue. George: It would have to be a teacher, well respected of course, combat the Butler Act, and demand reparation, as it is unconstitutional. Mayor: And who might ever wish to humor such a bold idea? Superintendant: Well if its a teacher your looking for, theres only one man I can think of; John Scopes. Hes young and the kids love him, he brought Dayton High football a championship win last season, and hes conventionally brilliant. Mayor: Id most certainly like to meet this, John Scopes. Superintendant: Of course sir, I can bring him by tomorrow at 1. Mayor: Excellent, I will be seeing you then. Oh, and gentlemen, I am not promising anything but to humour your idea to bypass the Butler Act. Superintendant: Yes, of course. George: Thank you sir, good day. George, Superintendant and Mayor exit stage left. Next day Robinsons Drug Store, Superintendant and John Scopes enter stage left to meet Mayor and George at the table. Mayor and George stand up to shake hands. Mayor: Ah, John Scopes I presume. Ive heard good things about you. Please sit. (Everyone sits down) Scopes: Thank you sir. Mayor: Coffee? Scopes: Yes sir. Mayor: Robinson, bring us a pot of Columbian please. Robinson enters stage right.

Robinson: Yes, of course, right away sir. Robinson exits stage right. Scopes: So Ive been told that theres a special project you need my help with. Somewhat of a political issue, so Ive heard. Mayor: Yes, yes, and what else have you been told. Scopes: Not much sir, just that it very well could put Dayton on the map. Mayor: We have something in mind of the sort, but I cant take credit for such a bold idea. Scopes: Perhaps you could enlighten me then as to what I am getting myself into. Mayor: Well hold on now, you havent, and we havent gotten ourselves into anything yet. Were merely here to discuss politics and modern ideals that perhaps Mr. Rappleyea could fill you in on. George: Of course sir (interrupted by Robinson) Robinson enters stage right and puts coffee on the table. Robinson: One fresh pot of Columbian, made just for you fine gentlemen. Please let me know if there is anything more I can do for you. Mayor: Thank you, Robinson, I think well be fine for now. (Smiles then preps his coffee with cream and sugar) Robinson exits stage right. Mayor: Mr. Rappleyea I believe you were about to share your idea with Mr. Scopes. George: Yes of course. Have you heard of the new Butler Act that was passed in Tennessee recently? Scopes: Yes I have. What of it? George: Well, we find the law, unconstitutional, and feel that our youth should be allowed exposure to the reality of natural science and evolution, rather then have it banned. Im sure as a fellow scientist you feel the same way. Yes?

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Scopes: What I feel and what the reality of the Butler Act is, are two different things. Forgive me for being blunt, but, what did you intend my role to be in aiding this situation? George: Mr. Scopes, you are going to change lives. You will teach evolution and bring this to trial. Scopes: Perhaps this idea is to bold from my taste. George: You see it has to be you. Youre well respected and have an excellent status amongst the teaching community of Dayton, despite being so young. People will listen to you. Scopes: And what if they do? So far Im only seeing a court date and a fine from this plan. George: Were going to take care of the fine, if it happens; but it wont. Scopes: So tell me Mr. Rappleyea, what will happen. George: We are going to put Dayton on the map! A hundred years from now people are going to remember this place and say, this is where history was made. People will come here just to see the place where you, John Scopes, overturned the Butler Act and fought to achieve educational freedom. Scopes: Pardon me Mr. Rappleyea but it seems this scandal is only going to benefit your personal endeavors. George: Why would you think that? Scopes: Well because all this town has is its mining business; your mining business. Without it, what other income does this town have? Robinsons drug store? George: They did tell me you were a smart man, Mr. Scopes. But that is merely only an incident caused only by the achievement of our primary objective. That is, gaining educational freedom in Tennessee and inspiring other states to achieve the same. Scopes: Thank you for your proposition Mr. Rappleyea but I think Ive overstayed my welcome. Im not interested in your sort of politics. Scopes gets up to leave.

George: Wait! The American Civil Liberties Union has agreed to help us. Ive reached out to them. Scopes turns around. Scopes: Who now? George: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU for short. Theyve taken an interest in our movement here in Dayton and are willing to help fund our endeavor. Help change this law. Take it to court and show the state that its wrong and unconstitutional, un-American. They are going to help us get noticed around America, maybe even the world for fighting against this law, overturning it. We are going to give children the truth about how we became the species we are today. Not the nonsense theyre shoving down our throats now. Please just listen! Scopes sits down again Scopes: Alright Mr. Rappleyea, you have bought my attention for one minute. George: All we are asking you to do is teach evolution in your class and let everyone know you are doing it. Let yourself be charged by the police and then plead not- guilty. Take this case to court and let the world see the educational oppression of Tennessee. Serve as the leader in this movement and let everyone else put pressure on the state of Tennessee to appeal the Butler Act. After that you will have changed American history. If it fails we take care of the fines and your still remembered for trying to make a difference. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Scopes: You put on quite the convincing argument Mr. Rappleyea and I must admit that I am moved by your excitement on this matter. As long as you take the bullet if this fails, I am sure we can work something out. I too would like to see this law repealed and this is the most direct way to try. George: Excellent! I have already received word from the ACLU that Clarence Darrow would be thrilled to defend your case if you decided to go through with this. He is a very famous lawyer for these sorts of civil rights cases. Shall I tell him to prepare for future discussion?

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Scopes: Tell him well talk but well need to iron out the details. Have him come down next week to talk more. Until then keep me updated with details. George, Scopes, Mayor and Superintendant stand up and shake hands George: Yes of course. Im glad youve decided to come on board. Scopes: Yes well see. Until then, good day gentlemen. Scopes exits stage left. Mayor: Thank you for bringing that man by. I think he will change history. George your plan might just work. This trial will be great for this town. George: This trial will be great for everyone. Mayor: Im sure it will. However, I must get back to the office so I expect you will update me with our progress. George: Yes, of course. Mayor: Alright then, good day gentlemen, oh and keep in mind, I am expecting results here. Either way I want Dayton on the map. George: Good day to you as well. I promise you will not be disappointed. Superintendant: Yes, good day gentlemen. Mayor, George, and Superintendant exit stage left.

Scopes Monkey Trial Scene 2: The Trial (Credit to Matthew De Lio)

Narrator-On July 20th 1925, in a blisteringly hot Dayton, Tennessee courthouse packed with eager onlookers, the case of State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes had reached its seventh gruelling day. Scopes was a high-school science and math teacher charged with breaking Tennessee's Butler Act, which restricted the teaching of evolution in state-funded schools. The 24-year old teacher decided to take the matter to court, with the entire nation focused on the July court battle between the famed

agnostic labour lawyer defending Scopes, Clarence Darrow, and the prosecution, represented by presidential candidate and religious fundamentalist, William Jennings Bryan. Darrow decided to call his opponent to the stand on the seventh day, in an attempt to make an ideological point. The question we'd like you to consider is: how does the cross-examination between Darrow and Bryan serve as a microcosm for the progressive movement in the United States at the time, considering factors such as freespeech, secularization and rationalism? Hays--The defence desires to call Mr. Bryan as a witness, and, of course, the only question here is whether Mr. Scopes taught what these children said he taught, we recognize what Mr. Bryan says as a witness would not be very valuable. We think there are other questions involved, and we should want to take Mr. Bryan's testimony for the purpose of our record, even if your honour thinks it is not admissible in general, so we wish to call him now. McKenzie--I don't think it is necessary to call him, calling a lawyer who represents a client. ! Judge--If you ask him about any confidential matter, I will protect him, of course. ! Darrow--On scientific matters, Bryan can speak for himself. ! Bryan--Where do you want me to sit? ! Judge--Mr. Bryan, you are not objecting to going on the stand? ! Bryan--Not at all. ! Judge--Do you want Mr. Bryan sworn? ! Darrow--No. ! Bryan--I can make affirmation; I can say "So help me God, I will tell the truth." ! Darrow--No, I take it you will tell the truth, Mr. Bryan. Darrow--You have given considerable study to the Bible, haven't you, Mr. Bryan? ! Bryan--Yes, sir, I have tried to. ! Darrow--Then you have made a general study of it? ! Bryan--Yes, I have; I have studied the Bible for about fifty years. ! Darrow--You claim that everything in the Bible should be literally interpreted? ! Bryan--I believe everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there: some of the Bible is given illustratively. For instance: "Ye are the salt of the earth." I would not insist that man was actually salt, or that he had flesh of salt, but it is used in the sense of salt as saving God's people. !

Darrow--But when you read that the whale swallowed Jonah, how do you literally interpret that? ! Bryan--When I read that a big fish swallowed Jonah--it does not say whale....That is my recollection of it. A big fish, and I believe it, and I believe in a God who can make a whale and can make a man and make both what He pleases. ! Darrow--Now, you say, the big fish swallowed Jonah, and he there remained how long--three days-- and then he spewed him upon the land. You believe that the big fish was made to swallow Jonah? ! Bryan--I am not prepared to say that; the Bible merely says it was done. ! Darrow--You don't know whether it was the ordinary run of fish, or made for that purpose? ! Bryan--You may guess; you evolutionists guess..... ! Darrow--You are not prepared to say whether that fish was made especially to swallow a man or not? ! Bryan--The Bible doesn't say, so I am not prepared to say. ! Darrow--But do you believe He made them--that He made such a fish and that it was big enough to swallow Jonah? ! Bryan--Yes, sir. Let me add: One miracle is just as easy to believe as another. ! Darrow--Just as hard? ! Bryan--It is hard to believe for you, but easy for me. A miracle is a thing performed beyond what man can perform. When you get within the realm of miracles; and it is just as easy to believe the miracle of Jonah as any other miracle in the Bible. ! Darrow--Perfectly easy to believe that Jonah swallowed the whale? ! Bryan--If the Bible said so; the Bible doesn't make as extreme statements as evolutionists do.... ! Darrow--Have you an opinion as to whether or not the men who wrote that thought ! Stewart--I want to object, your honour; it has gone beyond the pale of any issue that could possibly be injected into this lawsuit, expect by imagination. I do not think the defendant has a right to conduct the examination any further and I ask your honour to exclude it. ! Bryan--It seems to me it would be too exacting to confine the defence to the facts; if they are not allowed to get away from the facts, what have they to deal with? ! Judge--Mr. Bryan is willing to be examined. Go ahead. ! Darrow--You believe the story of the flood to be a literal interpretation? ! Bryan--Yes, sir. ! Darrow--When was that Flood?

! Bryan--I would not attempt to fix the date. The date is fixed, as suggested this morning. ! Darrow--About 4004 B.C.? ! Bryan--That has been the estimate of a man that is accepted today. I would not say it is accurate. ! Darrow--That estimate is printed in the Bible? ! Bryan--Everybody knows, at least, I think most of the people know, that was the estimate given. ! Darrow--But what do you think that the Bible, itself says? Don't you know how it was arrived at? ! Bryan--I never made a calculation. ! Darrow--A calculation from what? ! Bryan--I could not say. ! Darrow--From the generations of man? ! Bryan--I would not want to say that. ! Darrow--What do you think? ! Bryan--I do not think about things I don't think about. ! Darrow--Do you think about things you do think about? ! Bryan--Well, sometimes. ! (Laughter in the courtyard.) ! Baliff--Let us have order.... ! Stewart--Your honour, he is perfectly able to take care of this, but we are attaining no evidence. This is not competent evidence. ! Bryan--These gentlemen have not had much chance--they did not come here to try this case. They came here to try revealed religion. I am here to defend it and they can ask me any question they please. ! Judge--All right. ! (Applause from the court yard.) ! Darrow--Great applause from the bleachers. ! Bryan--From those whom you call "Yokels." ! Darrow--I have never called them yokels. ! Bryan--That is the ignorance of Tennessee, the bigotry. ! Darrow--You mean who are applauding you? (Applause.) ! Bryan--Those are the people whom you insult. ! Darrow--You insult every man of science and learning in the world because he does not believe in your fool religion. ! Judge--I will not stand for that. ! Darrow--For what he is doing? ! Judge--I am talking to both of you.... ! Darrow--Wait until you get to me. Do you know anything about how many people there were in Egypt 3,500 years ago, or how many people there were in China 5,000 years ago? ! Bryan--No. !

Darrow--Have you ever tried to find out? ! Bryan--No, sir. You are the first man I ever heard of who has been in interested in it. (Laughter.) ! Darrow--Mr. Bryan, am I the first man you ever heard of who has been interested in the age of human societies and primitive man? ! Bryan--You are the first man I ever heard speak of the number of people at those different periods. ! Darrow--Where have you lived all your life? ! Bryan--Not near you. (Laughter and applause.) ! Darrow--Nor near anybody of learning? ! Bryan--Oh, don't assume you know it all. ! Darrow--Do you know there are thousands of books in our libraries on all those subjects I have been asking you about? ! Bryan--I couldn't say, but I will take your word for it.... ! Darrow--Have you any idea how old the earth is? ! Bryan--No. ! Darrow--The Book you have introduced in evidence tells you, doesn't it? ! Bryan--I don't think it does, Mr. Darrow. ! Darrow--Let's see whether it does; is this the one? ! Bryan--That is the one, I think. ! Darrow--It says B.C. 4004? ! Bryan--That is Bishop Usher's calculation. ! Darrow--That is printed in the Bible you introduced? ! Bryan--Yes, sir.... ! Darrow--Would you say that the earth was only 4,000 years old? ! Bryan--Oh, no; I think it is much older than that. ! Darrow--How much? ! Bryan--I couldn't say. ! Darrow--Do you say whether the Bible itself says it is older than that? ! Bryan--I don't think it is older or not. ! Darrow--Do you think the earth was made in six days? ! Bryan--Not six days of twenty-four hours. ! Darrow--Doesn't it say so? ! Bryan--No, sir.... ! Judge--Are you about through, Mr. Darrow? ! Darrow--I want to ask a few more questions about the creation. ! Judge--I know. Be very brief, Mr. Darrow. Of course, I believe I will make myself clearer. This is incompetent testimony before the jury. The only reason I am allowing this to continue is because they may have it in the appellate court as showing what the affidavit would be. ! Bryan--The reason I am answering is not for the benefit of the superior court. It is to keep these gentlemen from saying I was

afraid to meet them and let them question me, and I want the Christian world to know that any atheist, agnostic, unbeliever, can question me anytime as to my belief in God, and I will answer him. ! Darrow--I want to take an exception to this conduct of this witness. He may be very popular down here in the hills.... ! Bryan--Your honour, they have not asked a question legally and the only reason they have asked any question is for the purpose, as the question about Jonah was asked, for a chance to give this agnostic an opportunity to criticize a believer in the world of God; and I answered the question in order to shut his mouth so that he cannot go out and tell his atheistic friends that I would not answer his questions. That is the only reason, no more reason in the world. ! Malone--Your honour on this very subject, I would like to say that I would have asked Mr. Bryan--and I consider myself as good a Christian as he is--every question that Mr. Darrow has asked him for the purpose of bring out whether or not there is to be taken in this court a literal interpretation of the Bible, or whether, obviously, as these questions indicate, if a general and literal construction cannot be put upon the parts of the Bible which have been covered by Mr. Darrow's questions. I hope for the last time no further attempt will be made by counsel on the other side of the case, or Mr. Bryan, to say the defence is concerned at all with Mr. Darrow's particular religious views or lack of religious views. We are here as lawyers with the same right to our views. I have the same right to mine as a Christian as Mr. Bryan has to his, and we do not intend to have this case charged by Mr. Darrow's agnosticism or Mr. Bryan's brand of Christianity. (A great applause.) ! Darrow--Mr. Bryan, do you believe that the first woman was Eve? ! Bryan--Yes. ! Darrow--Do you believe she was literally made out of Adams's rib? ! Bryan--I do. ! Darrow--Did you ever discover where Cain got his wife? ! Bryan--No, sir; I leave the agnostics to hunt for her. ! Darrow--You have never found out? ! Bryan--I have never tried to find ! Darrow--You have never tried to find? ! Bryan--No. ! Darrow--The Bible says he got one, doesn't it? Were there other people on the earth at that time? ! Bryan--I cannot say. ! Darrow--You cannot say. Did that ever enter your consideration? ! Bryan--Never bothered me. !

Darrow--There were no others recorded, but Cain got a wife. ! Bryan--That is what the Bible says. ! Darrow--Where she came from you do not know. All right. Does the statement, "The morning and the evening were the first day," and "The morning and the evening were the second day," mean anything to you? ! Bryan--I do not think it necessarily means a twenty-four-hour day. ! Darrow--You do not? ! Bryan--No. ! Darrow--What do you consider it to be? ! Bryan--I have not attempted to explain it. If you will take the second chapter--let me have the book. (Examining Bible.) The fourth verse of the second chapter says: "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens," the word "day" there in the very next chapter is used to describe a period. I do not see that there is any necessity for construing the words, "the evening and the morning," as meaning necessarily a twenty-four-hour day, "in the day when the Lord made the heaven and the earth." ! Darrow--Then, when the Bible said, for instance, "and God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day," that does not necessarily mean twenty-four hours? ! Bryan--I do not think it necessarily does. ! Darrow--Do you think it does or does not? ! Bryan--I know a great many think so. ! Darrow--What do you think? ! Bryan--I do not think it does. ! Darrow--You think those were not literal days? ! Bryan--I do not think they were twenty-four-hour days. ! Darrow--What do you think about it? ! Bryan--That is my opinion--I do not know that my opinion is better on that subject than those who think it does. ! Darrow--You do not think that ? ! Bryan--No. But I think it would be just as easy for the kind of God we believe in to make the earth in six days as in six years or in 6,000,000 years or in 600,000,000 years. I do not think it important whether we believe one or the other. ! Darrow--Do you think those were literal days? ! Bryan--My impression is they were periods, but I would not attempt to argue as against anybody who wanted to believe in literal days. ! Darrow--I will read it to you from the Bible: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field;

upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life." Do you think that is why the serpent is compelled to crawl upon its belly? ! Bryan--I believe that. ! Darrow--Have you any idea how the snake went before that time? ! Bryan--No, sir. ! Darrow--Do you know whether he walked on his tail or not? ! Bryan--No, sir. I have no way to know. (Laughter in audience). ! Darrow--Now, you refer to the cloud that was put in heaven after the flood, the rainbow. Do you believe in that? ! Bryan--Read it. ! Darrow--All right, Mr. Bryan, I will read it for you. ! Bryan--Your Honour, I think I can shorten this testimony. The only purpose Mr. Darrow has is to slur at the Bible, but I will answer his question. I will answer it all at once, and I have no objection in the world, I want the world to know that this man, who does not believe in a God, is trying to use a court in Tennessee-- ! Darrow--I object to that. ! Bryan--(Continuing) to slur at it, and while it will require time, I am willing to take it. ! Darrow--I object to your statement. I am exempting you on your fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes. ! Judge--Court is adjourned until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. Narrator-- Darrow's unorthodox examination of Bryan shows how the Scopes trial was not about the teacher escaping punishment, but part of a national debate over the place of religion within America's law and scholarship. The Scopes Trial represents America's shift from traditional Victorian values, to modernism and intellectual experimentation in the 1920s. Darrow's crossexamination of Bryan was a microcosm of the ideological battle in America between modernists and traditionalists, as Darrow successfully utilized the national stage in order to question the rational value of religion in America's classrooms and law. In addition, Darrow's questions exemplify a contradiction in the U.S.A that is still questioned today: how can a nation that claims to have a logical, secular government, have religion constantly seeps into its law and politics? Darrow's examination of Bryan questioned this contradiction in a time when America was trying to globally project itself as the paragon of progress. Furthermore, Darrow used the examination of Bryan to exhibit how a strict reliance on the Bible for education was not only factually questionable, but also compromised America's values as a progressive nation that promised individual freedom to pursue scientific inquiry. Although Darrow lost the court case, he gained a moral victory for rationalists moving to modernize America, as the cross examination was instrumental in helping American law becoming more secularized.

Works Cited UMKC Law Facillity. State V. Scopes Trial Excerpts: Day Seven. UMKC Law. http:// law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/day7.htm (DOA: January 30th 2014).