American Experience · SEASON 14
Monkey Trial
Episode 9 · 2002-02-23
- Documentary
Episode overview
Recalling the "epic battle" over evolution waged in 1925 by fundamentalist titan William Jennings Bryan and freethinking Clarence Darrow. This chronicle also explores trial oddities. It was held in Dayton, Tenn., because civic boosters wanted to put the town "on the map." Then there's John Scopes, the football coach (teaching science was a side job) who volunteered to be prosecuted. The offending book he used was Tennessee's "official" science text. Moreover, as he wrote in his memoirs, he didn't recall ever actually teaching evolution.
55 minutes
Season 14 episodes
1. New York (6): The City of Tomorrow2001-09-10
2. New York (7): The City and the World2001-09-17
3. War Letters2001-11-01
4. Woodrow Wilson (1): A Passionate Man2002-01-06
5. Woodrow Wilson (2): The Redemption of the World2002-01-13
6. Mount Rushmore2002-01-20
7. Miss America2002-01-27
8. Zoot Suit Riots2002-03-01
9. Monkey Trial2002-02-23
10. Public Enemy #12002-02-17
11. Ansel Adams2002-04-21
12. A Brilliant Madness2002-04-28
13. Ulysses S. Grant (1): The Warrior2002-04-01
14. Ulysses S. Grant (2): The President2002-04-02
