A Century Later, the Scopes Trial Still Shapes the Battle Over Science in Schools

As the centennial of the Scopes “Monkey Trial” arrives, it’s worth revisiting the courtroom clash in Dayton, Tennessee that sparked a national debate over science, religion, and education — a debate that still echoes today.

In An Evolving Struggle, Church & State offers a compelling deep dive into how the 1925 trial — where teacher John Scopes was prosecuted for teaching evolution — became a cultural lightning rod. More than just a historical footnote, the Scopes trial set the stage for modern fights over evolution, curriculum standards, and church-state separation.

This article unpacks how the Butler Act came to be, how public perception was shaped by figures like Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, and how subsequent court rulings — from Epperson v. Arkansas to Kitzmiller v. Dover — continue the struggle to keep science in science class.

If you think these debates are behind us, think again. With recent shifts in the Supreme Court and growing political challenges to scientific consensus, the legacy of Scopes may be more relevant than ever.

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👉 Reflect on how far we've come — and how far we still have to go.