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last mo.

Centenary Reflections Highlight Media’s Role in the Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’

Amanda Opelt argues H.L. Mencken’s satirical framing with Dayton’s publicity campaign entrenched class divides, eroding trust in journalism.

An editorial cartoon labeled “Evolution in Tennessee” caricatures the local populace before and after the sensational trial in the 1920s.
Judge John T. Raulston holds the decision in the Scopes Trial at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, July 17, 1925. John Scopes, a biology teacher, was on trial for violating a Tennessee law that forbade the teaching of evolution in public schools because it contradicted the Bible.
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Overview

  • On the approach to July 10, journalists are publishing retrospectives on how the 1925 trial shaped national discourse and media norms.
  • H.L. Mencken coined “Bible Belt” and “monkey trial” while mocking Dayton residents as “hillbillies,” reinforcing urban-rural stereotypes.
  • Dayton leaders deliberately used the trial to draw attention to their declining coal town and the black lung crisis affecting miners.
  • William Jennings Bryan’s prosecution focused on the moral implications of evolution, framing it as governed by a “law of hate” rather than biblical “law of love.”
  • Commentators warn that the trial’s sensational coverage set a lasting precedent for polarized ideological battles and widespread mistrust of the press.