The Tennessee v. Scopes trial opened a whole new playing field in the “employer and state dictating the actions of employee’s” and anti-evolutionist movements (Smithson). In the year 1925, a teacher by the name of John T. Scopes was taken in arrest for teaching “Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, which states that humans developed over many thousands of years from earlier forms of life” (Smithson). That same year, a bill in the Tennessee State Legislature was passed that banned any religious affiliation in the education system. By the year of 1927, there was an anti-evolution movement taking place into over 12 northern and southern states that were against the teachings of Charles Darwin’s theory. This had a lasting effect on the high school …show more content…
On paper, the trial was to be to the benefit of pro-creationists, but according to Robert Smithson’s "Remembering the Scopes Monkey trial", Smithson claims that, “Both [lawyers] Bryan and Darrow, however, had greater objectives” due to the fact that there was no denying that John Scopes had broken the Butler Act. The nation watched in amusement as “The event seemingly turned [the town of] Dayton into something resembling a carnival” by the introduction of “trained chimpanzees performing on the courthouse lawn” (Smithson). The most riveting circumstance in the entire trial premiered when pro-evolutionist, Darrow, held a “one-on-one, no-holds-barred confrontation between science and faith” when he called pro-creationist, Bryan, as a witness to literally interpret the meaning of the bible (Smithson). However, because the jury was not present for the “squabble” between Darrow and Bryan, this section of the trial was to be “expunged” from the final verdict (Smithson). Furthermore, the trial came to an end with the verdict of Scopes being guilty and being fined $100. Any individual that has looked upon this case has attempted to draw metaphors and a deeper meaning behind