no_step t1_ja7guc1 wrote
Scopes' involvement in the so-called Scopes Monkey Trial came about after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that it would finance a test case challenging the constitutionality of the Butler Act if it could find a Tennessee teacher who was willing to act as a defendant.
A band of businessmen in Dayton, Tennessee, led by engineer and geologist George Rappleyea, saw this as an opportunity to get publicity for their town, and they approached Scopes.
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Magmagan t1_ja7xexf wrote
Also, god damn the Butler Act. The whole debacle above happened in 1925... The law was only repealed in 1967! No wonder why we are so divided and ignorant to this day, this was so recent
mojoegojoe t1_ja81nwa wrote
It's crazy how political structure such as this has such ramifications throughout the whole environment. He didn't even reach the class he was getting sued for-
"After the trial, he admitted to reporter William Kinsey Hutchinson "I didn't violate the law,"[8] explaining that he had skipped the evolution lesson and that his lawyers had coached his students to go on the stand;"
Drewy99 t1_ja88ywj wrote
>No wonder why we are so divided and ignorant to this day
Thanks Obama...
/s
BigCommieMachine t1_ja88xnx wrote
Very similar to Rosa Parks.
The only real way to overturn an unconstitutional law is to have someone be prosecuted under it.
rosstedfordkendall t1_ja8i411 wrote
That was the big surprise for me when I learned about it more in depth. In grade school, it was presented as "religion vs. evolution." Then later in life I learned it was mostly staged (at least initially) and there was more nuance to it. The fact that the textbook also advocated eugenics was something that didn't get mentioned a lot.
Inherit the Wind portrays it more straightforward, but was using it as a metaphor for McCarthyism.
Magmagan t1_ja7wrcd wrote
[deleted] t1_ja7il4y wrote
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[deleted] t1_ja8ijhg wrote
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