Before the trial had ever taken place, scientists were starting to discover that the theory

Edward J. Larson presents this book in a neutral way in presenting the information so that everybody can read the book without judging his beliefs. As a person would look around the country today and ask him or her self, where do devout Christians mainly live? One such place happens to be the South as much of the population is Christian and also display fundamentalism. It just so happens that Tennessee is one of the states represented by the South and Dayton is located in it. The state approved text book taught evolution in it, but the law that later made the teachings of evolution in schools illegal was not put into effect until later on in the school year. Therefore, John Scopes was teaching an illegal subject of evolution to a bunch of kids that more than likely come from a Christian family. This is appalling to think that of all places that evolution was taught, the subject was being taught in basically, a religious town. Although that Dayton is one of the most famous regarding the controversial topic of evolution vs. creation, this town is not alone in place or in time. The thesis of the book is along the lines of that this controversy will forever be argued about. The evolutionist versus the creationist will always be a current issue because the subject will come up in a politician's campaign or just a conversation in our everyday lives.

As the famous trial got underway, the St. Louis Post Dispatch editorial asked, "Why Dayton, of all places?" (87). A booklet that was sold at the trial asked the same question only backwards, "Of all places, why not Dayton?" (87). Dayton is between the towns of Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. George Rappleyea believed that humans evolved and not what religion states. Rappleyea went to Fred Robinson's drug store to tell him that this was his chance to give Dayton a little publicity. As Robinson pursued Rappleyea's idea, he got the Hicks siblings to agree to prosecute the case only if a local teacher had been teaching evolution in school. Rappleyea and Robinson went to see the local biology teacher, John Scopes. They talked with John about how biology could not be taught without covering evolution. John agreed in that the subject was covered in class. Robinson then told Scopes that he had been violating the law by teaching evolution and asked him if he would stand for a test case. The newspaper the next day read, "J.T. Scopes, head

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Approximate Word count = 1626
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)