Historical Thinking Matters
Scopes Trial: 5 Day Lesson
Did Scopes violate the Butler Act? Why did so many Americans follow the Scopes trial? See analytical reading in action with a fantastic five-day lesson plan in which class members consider the historical context that provoked public...
Historical Thinking Matters
Scopes Trial: 3 Day Lesson
Was the Scopes trial more complicated than a simple debate between evolutionists and creationists? As part of a structured academic controversy (SAC) activity, pupils consider multiple perspectives of the Butler Act and engage in close...
Historical Thinking Matters
Scopes Trial: 1 Day Lesson
Why did many Tennesseeans support the 1925 Butler Act, which forbade the teaching of evolution? Using several primary source documents and a brief video clip, your young historians will draw connections between the broader historical...
George Mason University
Chnm: Between the Wars: The Scopes Trial
Read the fascinating transcript of the proceedings in court when Clarence Darrow called William Jennings Bryan to the stand to expose the weakness in his argument against evolution in the famous Scopes trial.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Illinois v. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb
Discover everything you would want to know about the Leopold & Loeb trial. This comprehensive tool provides an abundance of information including the evidence, the confession, the crime scene, the summations, the decision, photos,...
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: The Sweet Trials
The KKK membership was on the rise in Detroit in the 20s. An angry mob gathers at the home of an African-American doctor and shots ring out from the upstairs. Investigate the trial through transcripts and eye witness accounts.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Clarence Darrow
Site provides information on Darrow himself, the Scopes "Monkey Trial," the Leopold and Loeb Trial, and other famous trials with which he was associated. Great photographs are included.
![Constitutional Rights Foundation: Saved From the Gallows: The Trial of Leopold and Loeb [Pdf] Article](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Constitutional Rights Foundation: Saved From the Gallows: The Trial of Leopold and Loeb [Pdf] Article")
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Saved From the Gallows: The Trial of Leopold and Loeb [Pdf]
Referred to as "the crime of the century," Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were tried and convicted of the murder of a fourteen year old in Chicago in the early twentieth century. This Bill of Rights in Action features the story of the...
Ohio State University
Ehistory: Clash of Cultures in the 1910s and 1920s: The Scopes Trial
Find the index to a larger site about the Scopes trial which has photographs pertinent to the trial, cartoons and diagrams, and essays and excerpts from magazines about the trial. Great primary source material.
Other
Earliest Voices: William Jennings Bryan
This resource features historic voice recordings of William Jennings Bryan. There are recordings of many famous orations by him on various political topics, the most famous being his "Cross of Gold" speech. A biography and downloadable...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution Archives: Scopes Monkey Trial
Find previously unpublished photographs of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial that were found in the Smithsonian Archives. The photos include captions that explain the context.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Scopes Trial: Who Decides What Gets Taught in the Classroom?
Acitivity in which students examine the controversy surrounding John Scopes resulting in the 1920s Scopes Monkey Trial. Using guidelines provided, students write an essay on a topic of their choice explaining how it relates to change and...
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Timeline: Remembering the Scopes Monkey Trial
NPR presents a timeline on the events surrounding the Scopes Monkey Trial. Includes photos, recollections and information on the people involved in the trial.
PBS
Ipt: The Haywood Trial: Class Warfare in an Idaho Courtroom
A television documentary from Idaho Public Television that recreates the trial of Big Bill Haywood, leader of the Western Federation of Miners, charged with hiring a hit man to kill an Idaho ex-governor. Read about how he was captured,...
Digital History
Digital History: Scopes Trial
A fascinating look at the Scopes Trial in Tennessee where a science teacher was accused of violating a state law which prohibited the teacing of evolution. Perhaps the most interesting part of this article is the discussion of the...
Digital History
Digital History: Leopold and Loeb
A fascinating look at the crime perpetrated by teens, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb and their subsequent trial and punishment. These two young men were defended by famous trial lawyer, Clarence Darrow. Read about his defense and the...
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Tennessee vs. John Scopes, the "Monkey Trial"
This site from the University of Missouri-Kansas City provides excellent coverage of this famous trial includes trial transcripts, pictures, biographies, evolution controversy, and two short video clips of the actual trial.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Monkey Trial
A companion site to the PBS documentary on the John T. Scopes trial, recounting the battle between creationism and evolution.
Other
Ashtabula County Bar Association: Clarence Darrow
Comprehensive biographical details on famous trial lawyer and social activist, Clarence Darrow, who is best known for the Scopes Monkey Trial and the Leopold and Loeb trial.
Scientific American
Scientific American: 50 Years Ago: A Witness at the Scopes Trial
A lengthy article from Scientific American recounting the expert testimony of Fay-Cole Cooper, a professor at the University of Chicago, who supported the idea of evolution in the Scopes Monkey Trial.
American Rhetoric
American Rhetoric: Clarence Darrow: "Mercy for Leopold and Loeb"
This is the text of Clarence Darrow's plea for mercy for Leopold and Loeb in the courtroom, delivered in September 1924.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Monkey Trial
A very good look at the Scopes Monkey Trial that pit prosecuting attorney, William Jennings Bryan against defense attorney, Clarence Darrow. Read about the issues, the media circus at the trial, and eventual outcome. Find the basis of...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Outlines: Clash of Cultures
Although brief, this discussion of the clash of cultures in the 1920s covers all the reasons for cultural discordance.
Other
Rhea County: Scopes Evolution Trial Information
An article about the Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. It briefly recounts the substance of the trial and the participants. Find out what happened to William Jennings Bryan, Clarence Darrow, and John Scopes.