The Hundred Years’ Trial explores the century-long impacts of the historic 1925 Scopes Trial, or “Monkey Trial”, a 1925 court case where Tennessee high school teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating state law by teaching human evolution.  This was a symbolic clash highlighting cultural tensions between tradition and secularism; between fundamentalist religious views and modern scientific thought.  Starting with the development of evolutionary theory and charting the resulting cultural and legal conflicts over evolution in the United States, together with a blend of legal history, scientific exploration, and cultural analysis, the authors reexamine how this landmark trial remains a pivotal moment in shaping modern debates on science, religion, and education.

The Scopes Trial became a symbol of a larger culture clash, where questions of academic freedom, the role of religion in public life, and the boundaries of state intervention were fiercely debated. This book uncovers the complex layers of this conflict, offering readers a broader perspective that extends beyond the courtroom drama. In tracing the legacies of attorney Clarence Darrow and fundamentalist William Jennings Bryan, the authors analyse how the trial’s outcomes reverberated through later Supreme Court cases and shaped public policies and educational standards well into the twenty-first century.

One hundred years later, the tensions between science and religious belief that were so brightly illuminated by Scopes are not only still with us, but also increasingly relevant to the perpetual cultural issues in the American political consciousness: abortion, climate change, and vaccines. The Hundred Years’ Trial is vital for understanding not only how we arrived at our current political moment, but also where we go next in communicating science to a sceptical public.

August 2025 | Hardback 352 pages | ISBN 9781421452173| Price £27.50

https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53811/hundred-years-trial