John Scopes Trial: Darwin's Theory In Public Schools

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The Scopes Trial began in 1925 when John Scopes, a high school biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, decided to challenge the law. At issue was the theory of evolution, developed by English scientist Charles Darwin. Darwin believed that complex forms of life, such as human beings, had developed gradually from simpler forms of life. According to fundamentalists, this theory clashed with the description of creation in their Bible. Tennessee had just passed a law making it illegal to teach Darwin’s theory in the state’s public schools. The Scopes Trial drew nationwide attention causing journalists to flock in from all over to cover the emotionally charged event, which many dubbed the “Monkey Trial” because of the mistaken belief that Darwin