The trial of John Thomas Scopes was, according to Scopes himself, "a drug
store discussion that got past control." ¹ The trial began on July 10, 1925, and
ended 12 days later with Scopes' conviction and a $100 fine. Although it was
contrived as a publicity stunt and legal challenge, and even was interpreted as
a signal of change, ² the trial was not a turning point for modern science,
which had been in ascendency for more than a half century. Instead, it was a
fight over interpreting material evidence and drawing conclusions about its
meaning.

The law that Scopes broke was passed overwhelmingly in the Tennessee
legislature and signed into law by Governor Austin Peay, who figured it
probably never would be applied. ³ But the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) almost immediately extended an offer to defend a test case against the
new law. ⁴ Dayton town- boosters, who thought it would be a good opportunity
to publicize their city, talked the young high school teacher into accepting the
ACLU's offer. On April 23, Scopes had assigned his students the chapter in
George Hunter textbook, A Civic Biology, for discussion. Ironically, Scopes,
who was a substitute teacher in the class at the time, had himself been sick on
April 24 and missed the class. So the discussion of the offending material
never took place. He had, however, taught the theory in his general science
class.

There was little doubt that Scopes was used by others for their special inter-
ests. But to depict Scopes as an amiable fellow unwittingly cast into the eye of

-94-