Scopes Monkey Trial - Essay Example

Scope’s Monkey Trial Henry Louis Mencken H.L. Mencken was one of America’s well known critics, writer and journalist. Before the Scope’s trial Mencken’s reports were particularly for the Butler Act but after the trial began his interest grew towards the defendant. During the trial H.L Mencken wrote against the W.J.Bryan and others who were bent upon trying to get Scopes punished for teaching evolution (Linder, 2004).Later in life the writer’s interest in sciences grew deeper and his writings contain accurate references to medical science.

He was friends with doctor from John Hopkins Hospital and spent most of his time there making observations of the professors during his stay at Baltimore and wrote informative opinions on the four famous doctors and being a famous journalist of his times his writings are considered important especially in the field of sciences. (Roberts, 2010)John Scopes John Scopes was the teacher convicted in Scopes Monkey trial for teaching evolution in school going against the Bulter Act. Scopes being a learned man believed in Darwin’s theory and taught the theory of evolution to the general science students.

His contribution to science especially among the schools in Tennessee was that his trial became the first ever trial to be broadcasted on the radio and hence the helped in spreading the popularity of Darwin’s theory .It helped consider the legitimacy of teaching evolution theory to students (Frazzetto, 2004).Clarence Darrow Darrow was a well known lawyer. He joined the Scope’s Trial as defendant lawyer particularly because the prosecutor was W.J. Bryan and Darrow considered it once in a life time opportunity to defend a case that was immense importance in those times.

Darrow was considered an amateur scientist and he grew up reading and indulging in science was never against the theory of evolution which helped him defend the case.However, one of most famous role of Darrow’s in science was his movement against eugenics. His idea of eugenics was rather sceptical and he wrote several articles aimed against the idea of Eugenics which he believed was doom for the human society (Darrow, 1926).William Jennings Bryan W.J. Bryan was a politician and was concerned with teaching of evolution in the schools.

He was the main prosecutor in the Scope’s Monkey Trial. He looked upon scientific theories with suspicion a nd considered science was responsible for weak moral standards of students (Linder, 2004).During the trial he handed out pamphlets which talked against Darwin’s evolution theory. However he contributed to the field of medical sciences by establishing various hospitals and medical centres under his name. ReferencesDarrow, C.”The Eugenic Cult.

”The American mercury.1926, 7(3). Retrieved from http://dododreams.blogspot.in/2011/09/reprint.html on 26 th October, 2014.Frazzetto,G.”Who’s afraid of Darwin.”EMBO Reports.2004, 5(7), 662-665.Print.Linder, D.”H.L.Mencken.”2004. Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/menckenh.htm on 26th October, 2014.Linder, D.”William Jennings Bryan.”2004. Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/bryanw.htm on 26th October, 2014.Roberts,C.S.” H. L. Mencken and the four doctors: Osler, Halsted, Welch, and Kelly.

” Baylor University Medical Centre.2010, 23 (4), 377-388. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2943453/ on 26 October, 2014.