In 1925, the Tennessee legislature made it a criminal offense to teach Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection in any publicly funded school.
When high school teacher John Scopes was prosecuted under the law, one of America’s most prominent opponents of evolution, former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, agreed to assist the prosecution, while America’s most famous criminal defense attorney (and notorious agnostic) Clarence Darrow agreed to defend Scopes. It became the most famous legal case in the United States of the time.
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Fanfare
Opening Theme
“His Eye Is on the Sparrow”
Composed in 1905 by Charles H. Gabriel and Civilla D. Martin. Public domain.
Closing Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.