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== Scopes Trial ==

== Scopes Trial ==

William Jennings Bryan, you should recall, resigned as Secretary of State under President Wilson because Bryan was morally opposed to Americans entering World War I.  After the war, Bryan toured Europe and kept asking himself:  what caused this enormous inhumanity by mankind?  World War I was by far the most brutal and atrocious war in the history of the world, with unspeakable slaughter of human life which included chemical warfare.  Bryan did some soul-searching wonder how it was possible that men would do this to each other.

William Jennings Bryan, you should recall, resigned as Secretary of State under President Wilson because Bryan was morally opposed to Americans entering World War I.  After the war, Bryan toured Europe and kept asking himself:  what caused this enormous inhumanity by mankind?  World War I was by far the most brutal and atrocious war in the history of the world, with unspeakable slaughter of human life which included chemical warfare.  Bryan did some soul-searching and wondered how it was possible that men would do this to each other.

He found his answer in the Darwinism had gripped England and Germany.  World War I was, simply put, survival of the fittest by those who had come to believe that only the fittest should survive.  It was application of Darwin's theory to mankind itself.

He found his answer in the Darwinism that gripped England and Germany.  World War I was, simply put, survival of the fittest by those who had come to believe that only the fittest should survive.  It was application of Darwin's theory to mankind itself.

Upon his return to the United States, Bryan felt a calling not to let this misguided theory spread to Americans.  He support laws against teaching a theory of evolution of man to impressionable children in school.  Tennessee had such a law, and the ACLU challenged it in the name of schoolteacher John Scopes.  William Jennings Bryan offer his formidable legal talents to the State of Tennessee to defend the law.  The ACLU retain the leading criminal defense attorney and believer in evolution Charles Darwin.  This became the legal fight of the century, Darwin v. Bryan.

Upon his return to the United States, Bryan felt a calling to prevent the spread of this misguided theory to American.  He supported State laws against teaching, to impressionable children in school, that man had evolved from lower life forms.  Tennessee had such a law, and the ACLU challenged it in the name of schoolteacher John Scopes.  William Jennings Bryan offer his formidable legal talents to the State of Tennessee to defend the law.  The ACLU retained Clarence Darrow, the leading criminal defense attorney and believer in evolution.  This became the legal fight of the century, Darrow (and Darwin) v. Bryan.

So many people flocked to watch the trial that it was often held outside in Dayton, Tennessee.  The atheist (and bigot) H.L. Mencken,the leading journalist of that time, traveled from Baltimore to give his "spin" (bias reporting) on what happened.  Mencken's account misled the world into thinking that Darrow (and Darwin) had won.  In fact, the opposite occurred: Bryan won, Scopes was convicted, and the Tennessee law remained in effect for nearly another 50 years.

So many people flocked to watch the trial that it was often held outside in Dayton, Tennessee.  An atheist (and bigot) H.L. Mencken, the leading journalist of the first half of the 20th century, traveled from Baltimore to give his "spin" (bias reporting) on what happened.  Mencken's account misled the world into thinking that Darrow (and Darwin) had won.  In fact, the opposite occurred: Bryan won, Darrow's client Scopes was convicted, and the Tennessee law remained in effect for nearly another 50 years.  Tennessee has remained conservative to this day; Tennessee voted against its own liberal resident Al Gore for President in 2000, giving George W. Bush the national election, and in 2008 presidential candidate John McCain defeated Barack Obama by 15 percentage points there, despite Obama winning by 7 points nationwide.

The textbook at issue in the Scopes Trial taught that the Piltdown Man was the "missing link" between humans and apes (which was later proven to be a complete fraud).  The textbook was also racist in teaching that whites had evolved to a higher life form than blacks.

Bryan and the State of Tennessee objected to the textbook being used by Scopes in the public school in the town of Dayton.  The textbook taught that the Piltdown Man was the "missing link" proving that man had somehow evolved from apes.  Years later the Piltdown Man was proven to be a complete fraud perpetrated by evolutionists.  The textbook was also racist in teaching that whites had evolved to a higher life form than blacks.

The climax of the trial occurred when Bryan agreed to take the witness stand himself (which is unusual for an attorney) to answer Darrow's best questions, provided that Darrow likewise took the witness stand to answer Bryan's questions.  Darrow agreed, and Bryan took the witness stand before a huge audience that gathered to hear perhaps the greatest orator in American history.

The climax of the trial occurred when Bryan agreed to take the witness stand himself (which is unusual for an attorney) to answer Darrow's best questions, provided that Darrow likewise took the witness stand to answer Bryan's questions.  Darrow agreed, and Bryan took the witness stand before a huge audience that gathered to hear perhaps the greatest orator in American history.

This "cross-examination" of Bryan by Darrow then occurred:<ref>http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/day7.htm</ref>

This "cross-examination" of Bryan by Darrow included the following:<ref>http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/day7.htm</ref>

:Bryan--These gentlemen have not had much chance--they did not come here to try this case. They came here to try revealed religion. I am here to defend it and they can ask me any question they please.  

:Bryan--These gentlemen have not had much chance--they did not come here to try this case. They came here to try revealed religion. I am here to defend it and they can ask me any question they please.  

:Judge--All right. (Applause in audience.) ...  

:Judge--All right. (Applause in audience.) ...  

:Bryan--Those [the audience] are the people whom you insult.  

:Bryan--Those [the applauding audience] are the people whom you [Darrow] insult.  

:Darrow--You insult every man of science and learning in the world because he does believe in your fool religion. ....  

:Darrow--You insult every man of science and learning in the world because he does believe in your fool religion. ....