Scopes trial
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The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was an American legal case from July 10 to July 21, 1925, in which a high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accus
On the trial's seventh day, proceedings were moved outdoors because of excessive heat. William Jennings Bryan (seated, left) is being questioned by Clarence Darrow.
John T. Scopes and his legal counsels
John T. Scopes in 1925
Clarence Darrow in 1925, during the trial
William Jennings Bryan
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William Jennings Bryan was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President of the United States in
Scopes trial
…constitutionality of the law. Scopes was found guilty and was fined $100 (equivalent to $1908 in 2026), but the verdict was overturned on a technicality. William Jennings Bryan, a three-time presidential candidate and former secretary of state, argued for the prosecution, while famed labor and criminal lawyer Clarence Darrow…
Bryan, c. 1910s
Bryan's birthplace in Salem, Illinois
Attorney Mary Baird Bryan, the wife of William Jennings Bryan
Portrait by C. M. Bell c. 1891–1894