Inherit the Wind is an American play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, which debuted in Dallas under the direction of Margo Jones in 1955. The story fictionalizes the 1925 Scopes trial as a means to discuss the then-contemporary McCarthy trials.

Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, which resulted in John T. Scopes' conviction for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrary to a Tennessee state law. The role of Matthew Harrison Brady is intended to portray famed orator and politician William Jennings Bryan, while that of Henry Drummond resembles noted defense attorney Clarence Darrow. Bryan and Darrow, formerly close friends, opposed one another at the trial. The character of Bertram Cates corresponds to John Scopes, and the character of E. K. Hornbeck is modeled on that of H. L. Mencken, who covered the trial for The Baltimore Sun and whose sensational reports helped attract national attention.

However, the playwrights state in a note at the opening of the play that it is not meant to be a historical account, and there are numerous instances where events were substantially altered or invented. For instance, the characters of the preacher and his daughter were fictional, the townspeople were not hostile towards those who had come to Dayton for the trial, and Bryan offered to pay Scopes' fine if he was convicted. Bryan did die shortly after the trial, but this occurred five days later, in his sleep.

Political commentator Steve Benen has said of the play's inaccuracies: "Scopes issued no plea for empathy, there was no fiancee and the real Scopes was never arrested. In fact, the popular film that was nominated for four Academy Awards and has helped shape the American understanding of the 'Scopes Monkey Trial' for decades is an inadequate reflection of history."

Playwright Lawrence explained in a 1996 interview that the drama's purpose was to criticize the then-current reign of McCarthyism and defend intellectual freedom. According to Lawrence, "we used the teaching of evolution as a parable, a metaphor for any kind of mind control [...]. It's not about science versus religion. It's about the right to think."

The play's title comes from Proverbs 11:29, which in the King James Bible reads:

In Act Two, Scene One, Brady admonishes Reverend Brown with this Bible quote for alienating his daughter when he gives a fiery sermon against Cates.

There are also a number of minor speaking roles. These include Meeker, a bailiff at the Hillsboro courthouse; Mrs. Sarah Brady, Matthew Harrison Brady's wife; Mrs. Krebs, a loudly outspoken supporter of Rev. Brown and leader of the Hillsboro Ladies' Aid Society; Mr. Bannister, a local citizen; Elijah, an illiterate man from the nearby woods who sells Bibles to the crowd; Harry Esterbrook, a radio reporter from Chicago; Jesse Dunlap, a local farmer; George Sillers, an employee at the feed store; and the Storekeeper, Sillers' employer.