Evolution on Trial | Monkeytown | 2

The Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, was not just a legal battle, but it also became a festive commercial event for local businesses and a media frenzy.

Dayton Businesses Profit From Monkey Trial Publicity

Merchants in Dayton took advantage of the trial's publicity, drawing visitors with humorous signs and monkey-themed merchandise.

Merchants Lure Visitors With Toy Monkeys, "Simian Sodas," and Signs Like "Stop Monkeying Around and Start Shopping" For Trial

The owner of a dry goods store put up a sign reading "Stop monkeying around and start shopping." He arranged a display of stuffed monkey dolls and sold them at 50 cents each. The demand was so high, he mentioned selling them as fast as he could unpack them. Civic boosters in Dayton also raised funds to advertise local businesses during the trial, and the town was nicknamed "Monkey Town" by journalist H.L. Mencken. Shops offered "Simian soda," and a Constable even customized his cycle with a "Monkeyville Police" sign. Peddlers sold a variety of items including toy monkeys and Bibles, while visitors had the chance to shake hands with a cheerily dressed chimpanzee.

Dayton Adapts For Crowds With Transport, Lodging, and Media Upgrades

Anticipating large crowds for the John Scopes trial, Dayton upgraded its infrastructure to accommodate visitors and media.

Southern Railway Added Service, Workers Built Airstrip, Hotel Raised Rates and Added Cots For Expected Crowds

Southern Railway added extra train service, workers constructed the county’s first airfield, and Dayton’s finest hotel raised rates and fitted cots in its hallways. Additionally, a tourist camp was established, telephone and telegraph services were bolstered, and the courthouse was updated with more seats, a telephone bank, and space for newsreel cameras.

Trial Turned Into a Media Spectacle, Attr ...

The Scopes trial revealed the strategic legal confrontations between the prosecution, led by William Jennings Bryan, and the defense, with Clarence Darrow at the helm.

Prosecution, Led by Bryan, Sought a Quick Trial and Conviction, Believing the Ban On Teaching Evolution Would Be Upheld

William Jennings Bryan, holding firm anti-evolution beliefs and running for president thrice, prepared the prosecution for a speedy trial and conviction, assuming Tennessee's law against teaching evolution would stand. He focused on strategic speeches across the East Coast condemning evolution and planning with the prosecution team. His efforts aimed for a moral and legal victory by discrediting evolution with expert testimony from scientists and theologians, despite challenges in finding credible anti-evolution witnesses willing to participate.

Bryan Recruited Anti-Evolution Witnesses for a Legal and Moral Win

Bryan, lacking trial experience and knowledge of Tennessee law, leaned on local attorneys for case specifics but took the lead in recruiting anti-evolution scientists and theologians. He sought expert witnesses to support the prosecution's contention that upholding the state's right to govern public education was paramount—although, privately, he aimed for a trial that would also dismantle the credibility of evolutionary theory.

After the first day of the Scopes trial, Bryan worked extensively in Dayton, arranging speeches against evolution and managing potential rebuttal witnesses, in case the court allowed expert testimony from the defense. His public appearances at a local church and on the courthouse lawn rallied support for his cause.

Defense Frames Case as Fight for Intellectual Freedom and Rights

Clarence Darrow, alongside Roger Baldwin of the ACLU and attorney John Neill, devised a defense strategy, framing the case as a vital crusade for intellectual freedom, individual rights, and the advancement of science. They sought a conviction with the hope of overturning the anti-evolution law in higher courts, focusing on larger themes of science, freedom, and religious interpretation. John Neal motioned to dismiss the indictment against Scopes on constitutional grounds, indicating the defense's intent to argue the unconstitutionality of the law.

Darrow emphasized the trial as a quest for personal freedom and tolerance, wary of national legislation infringing on these liberties. Scopes's insistence on having Darrow for his defense highlighted a drive to ens ...

In Dayton, Tennessee, the effort to assemble an impartial jury for the trial of John Scopes presents challenges in a community deeply divided by issues of religion and science.

Jury: Uneducated, Churchgoing, White Male Farmers, Many Don't Understand Evolution

The majority of the jury pool consisted of uneducated, churchgoing, white male farmers. Some potential jurors lacked even a basic understanding of evolution, the subject at the heart of the trial. Notably, Clarence Darrow, the defense attorney, was aware of the community's predisposition against his client, John Scopes, but continued to seek jurors who might remain open-minded.

Jurors Excluded For Evolution Bias, Like Ministers Preaching Against It

Darrow worked to exclude jurors who openly demonstrated bias against evolution, such as one minister who had preached against the concept. Despite the challenges, Darrow accepted jurors who doubted evolution, provided they demonstrated a willingness to fairly consider the evidence.

Scopes himself remarked on Darrow’s readiness to accept jurors who might seem oppositional, if they appeared honest. During the selection process, potential jurors were pulled at random and questioned, with many showing an eagerness to witness the high-profile trial rather than a sense of civic obligation.

Judge John Ralston to Preside With Pro-religion, Anti-Evolution Bias

Judge John Ralston carried a conspicuous Bible into the courtroom and kicked off the proceedings with a prayer led by a local fundamentalist minister, despite Darrow's informal request to refrain from this practice. The defense looked out the window while prosecutors bowed their heads during the prayer, a scene indicating the underlying tensions within the courtroom.

Ralston was a conservative Christian circuit judge up for reelection. He relished the case’s spotlight, perceiving his role as a divine appointment. Ralston pushed for a speedy indictment against Scopes, even reading the anti-evolution statute and the entire first chapter of ...