Evolution on Trial: The Scopes Monkey Case

This week, Nicole Polisar revisits the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial, the first U.S. court case ever broadcast live on radio. Nicole reconstructs the drama between defense attorney Clarence Darrow and prosecutor William Jennings Bryan, examining how the case reflected early 20th-century tensions between religion, education, and democracy. Drawing on authentic courtroom dialogue and later Supreme Court decisions such as Epperson v. Arkansas, Edwards v. Aguillard, and Kitzmiller v. Dover, the episode traces the enduring constitutional and cultural impact of a trial that continues to define the boundary between science and belief. If you're interested in this week's topic, please check out these resources to learn more: https://archive.org/details/worldsmostfamous0000john/page/178/mode/1up https://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/evolut.htm https://www.history.com/articles/scopes-trial