Town Revisits Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’ Role

Town revisits Scopes ‘monkey trial’ role

DAYTON, Tenn. — A small town in eastern Tennessee courted national publicity and attention a century ago when local leaders planned a test trial over the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Paige Williams on Marquis James’s Preview of the Scopes Monkey Trial

The writer revisits The New Yorker’s report on the legal circus over evolution in schools, involving Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, John Scopes, and H. L. Mencken.

'A Circus and a Holy War': The Scopes Monkey Trial 100 years later

The "Scopes Monkey Trial"— a term coined in July 1925 by popular Baltimore Sun pundit H.L. Mencken —was about many things, but neither the scientific factuality of evolution or the inerrancy of biblical dictum was at the center of any…

In the shadow of Scopes

Due to some travel, we won’t be having our usual live conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat this afternoon. Join us tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday, July 15, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, for a special Book Club talk with Suleika Jaouad. Watch on desktop at The Ink or join us from a phone or tablet with the Substack app.Subscribe nowIn today’s letter, we recall the Scopes trial 100 years ago, and update you on renewed efforts to crack down on schools daring to t…