Was the Scopes “Monkey Trial” ever really about science—or was it a staged showdown with a hidden agenda? 

In this episode of All Rise, we talk to Dr. Rick Townsend, a historian of ideas whose groundbreaking dissertation uncovers the real story behind one of the most famous courtroom dramas in American history: the 1925 Scopes Trial. 

For a century, we’ve been told it was the moment science defeated religion. But what if the real battle wasn’t evolution vs. creation—but parental rights vs. elite control? Dr. Townsend walks us through how the trial was orchestrated, how William Jennings Bryan became a media caricature, and how a false narrative took root that still shapes educational debates today. 

We also explore Mahmoud v. Taylor, a 2025 Supreme Court decision that echoes the same themes 100 years later. Are we still fighting the same battle—just with different labels? 

Whether you're a believer, skeptic, or just someone tired of being told a one-sided version of history, this episode will change the way you think about the “Monkey Trial”—and what’s really at stake in the classroom.

Dr. Rick Townsend's PhD Dissertation, "Reconsidering Bryan: William Jennings Bryan's Advocacy of Causes Using Rights-Based Arguments," can be accessed at https://utd-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/3aa73f5e-5985-4a20-8a04-7131c391dffb/content.   

Dr. Townsend's recent article in Salvo Magazine, "Still Unrefuted," about the anti-evolution arguments of William Jennings Bryan: https://salvomag.com/article/salvo73/still-unrefuted.  

Salvo Magazine's most recent issue, which includes Dr. Townsend's articles along with several others', can be accessed here: https://salvomag.com/issue/current (note that this link will only go to the correct issue while it is the "current" issue. For future reference, this is issue #73 from Summer 2025).  

You can keep up with Dr. Townsend through his LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/in/rick-townsend-271b2920. 

🎙️ All Rise is the podcast where truth is put on trial. In each episode, ideas are cross-examined and evidence is explored.   

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