We’ve Only Just Begun: The Scopes Trial at 100

Abstract Few events and virtually no trials carry cultural and political meaning for over a century, but 100 years after it ended with a courtroom triumph for the prosecution and a cultural victory for the defense, the Scopes trial continues to resonate in American politics, science, religion, and popular culture. It brought together powerful forces in American society that have only grown stronger over time. In this Overview, I discuss the origins, proceedings, and impact of that now-epic misdemeanor trial that took place in July of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee.

The account highlights the role of American orator and politician William Jennings Bryan in the lead up and prosecution of the event, and of famed lawyer and secularist Clarence Darrow for the defense. More than any of the other participants, their presence and tactics turned a small-town trial into a national cultural event of enduring significance.