What is the scopes trial?
In 1925 the Butler Act prohibited the teaching of human evolution in the state of Tennessee. When John Scopes, a substitute teacher, assigned a paper on evolution to a high school biology class, the state of Tennessee filed a lawsuit against him for violating the aforementioned law. This lead to the Scopes Trial, more formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) heard about the Butler Act and questioned the constitutionality of it. The ACLU wanted a test trial but needed a Tennessee teacher they could use as a defendant. George Rappleyea who was metallurgical engineer, found out about Scopes's lesson on evolution and thought it would bring great publicity to Dayton if he was put on trial. Scopes agreed to be put on trial even though he was just a substitute teacher.
On May 25, 1925 Scopes was indicted by a grand jury for violating Tennessee's anti-evolution law. The trial lasted from July 10 until July 21. The law was eventually repealed in 1967.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) heard about the Butler Act and questioned the constitutionality of it. The ACLU wanted a test trial but needed a Tennessee teacher they could use as a defendant. George Rappleyea who was metallurgical engineer, found out about Scopes's lesson on evolution and thought it would bring great publicity to Dayton if he was put on trial. Scopes agreed to be put on trial even though he was just a substitute teacher.
On May 25, 1925 Scopes was indicted by a grand jury for violating Tennessee's anti-evolution law. The trial lasted from July 10 until July 21. The law was eventually repealed in 1967.