Question

What was Clarence Darrow’s position during the Scopes Trial?

Answer 1

Answer:

In 1925, Darrow defended John Thomas Scopes in the still famous Monkey Trial. Teacher Scopes was judged for teaching the theory of species evolution at a state school in Tennessee. The charge was "to teach a theory that denies the history of the Divine Creation of man as set forth in the Bible, and instead teaches that man descends from a low order of animals."

The accuser and principal witness was the fundamentalist William Jennings Bryan. When Darrow interrogated him, Bryan had to accept that the biblical account of creation could not be interpreted in six days as if it were 24-hour days but as six indeterminate periods of time. Darrow demonstrated to public opinion the raving of a literal interpretation of the Bible and the need to teach scientific theories in schools. Although the judge sentenced Scopes to pay a fine of $ 100, the trial immensely discredited Bryan and fundamentalism and it was a triumph for Scopes as a teacher, because what he taught a few students could teach him to the whole country and the world. Bryan died shortly after.

Answer 2

In 1925 Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes who was charged with teaching his students about evolution which broke Tennessee law.