Question

What was the scoops “monkey trail” and how did it reflect the growing divisions in American society in the 1920

Answer 1

There is an absolutely first movie that has been made on this event called Inherit the Wind.

The setting was a small southern town where a high school teacher dared teach Darwinian Evolution in a Biology classroom. This is exactly what happened.

The school board fired him because, at that time it was illegal to teach anything but the creation account given in Genesis (First book of the Bible).

The conflict was essentially between modern scientific ideas whose observations  could not be easily disputed, and more conservative religious accounts. John Scopes, the teacher in question, was immediately defended by Clarence Darrow who relied mostly on the 1st amendment. In opposition and defending the law was William Jennings Bryon who ran for president of the United States 3 times and was defeated each time. Both were brilliant orators and it made for thrilling drama.