HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY
Part Six: Tennessee's Roaring 20s

Here are two more things about Tennessee in the 1920s you should know: the Scopes Trial and Governor Austin Peay.
A scene from the TN History for Kids Scopes Trial video
Tennessee History for Kids has filmed a video on the Scopes Trial! In this segment, History Bill turns up in Dayton in 1925 and gets an earful from William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. Yep, he gets to see the whole thing -- even the monkey on the courthouse yard. Click here to see it in Windows Media Player; here using Quicktime.

Clarence Darrow during the actual Scopes Trial
PHOTO: Library of Congress
The Scopes Trial

As you know by now, having paid attention in science class, an Engishman named Charles Darwin came out with the theory of evolution in the middle of the 19th century. Among other things, Darwin argued that human beings slowly descended from another species of animals over a long, long period of time -- like millions of years. In other words, our ancestors -- way, way back -- might have looked like the Geico caveman.

Darwin's theory has been controversial ever since it came out. Vanderbilt University fired a geology professor in the 1870s for publicly speaking about it, although institutions of higher learning have become more tolerant of such things as the years have passed.

In the spring of 1925, the Tennessee legislature passed a law making it illegal to teach evolution in the public schools. Governor Austin Peay signed it into law. A few weeks later the American Civil Liberties Union offered to pay the legal expenses of anyone willing to challenge the new law.

Some folks in Dayton saw the advertisement and thought about it: If there's going to be a trial challenging the new law, why not have it here? It would be good publicity for the town, and it would help the hotels and restaurants. So they convinced John Scopes, a teacher at the local high school, to agree to challenge it.
The Scopes Trial Museum in Dayton

Before long the trial of State of Tennessee vs. Scopes was on, and the whole nation was following it. Scopes’ lead attorney was Clarence Darrow of Chicago, Illinois; while the best-known attorney for the state was William Jennings Bryan (who had been the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for president three times). National newspapers and radio stations descended on the small town. Dayton's downtown took on a carnival-like atmosphere. People sold souvenirs and even carried monkeys with them.


The Tennessee History for Kids Scopes Trial video being shot at the Rhea County Courthouse

The trial took place in July 1925. It was hot and crowded in the courtroom. While a national radio audience listened on, attorneys Darrow and Bryan focused the trial not on Scopes’ actions, but on evolution itself. It was almost as if Charles Darwin was on trial. At one point, Darrow put Bryan on the stand, asking him questions about the validity of the Bible.

 
Scopes lost the case and was fined $100. His attorney later appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which threw out his conviction on a technicality.

 
William Jennings Bryan died only a few days after the Scopes Trial.


Governor Austin Peay
PHOTO: Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay

Austin Peay, who was originally from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was governor of Tennessee from 1923 to 1927. He is often regarded as the governor who did more to reform state government than any other governor in the state's history. When Peay took office, Tennessee had only 244 miles of paved roads (most of which, by the way, consisted of the earlier-discussed "Dixie Highways"). Peay created the state highway department, and by the time he left office Tennessee had over 4,000 miles of paved roads.

Peay reorganized state government from 64 bureaus to eight departments. He expanded the Department of Health. He created the schools now known as UT-Martin and Austin Peay University . He directed the legislature to buy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from lumber companies – a necessary step toward its becoming a national park. And in 1925, he passed what he thought was the biggest piece of legislation of his career – a bill that guaranteed an eight-month school year in most schools. Before that time, some public schools were in session for as little as seven months, some as much as ten months.

The most famous piece of legislation passed during Peay’s two terms, however, was one he later came to regret. It was a new law, passed in 1925, that outlawed the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Austin Peay is also the only Tennessee governor to have ever died in office.


LINKS

And here are some other parts of Tennessee History for Kids that talk about this era:

The Scopes Trial Museum (virtual tour)

Here are some articles in the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture that amplify this era:

Peay, Austin
Scopes Trial
QUIZ

1. The only Tennessee governor to have died in office was ______ ______.
2. (TRUE OR FALSE) Austin Peay vetoed the so-called "monkey bill."
3. The high school teacher who legally challenged Tennessee's evolution bill in 1925 was ______ ______.
Click here to read what occurred in Tennessee during the Great Depression.

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