The Monkey Trial

Revealing little-known facts about the fight to teach evolution in schools, this riveting account of the dramatic 1925 Scopes Trial (aka “the Monkey Trial”) speaks directly to today’s fights over what students learn, the tension between science and religion, the influence of the media on public debate, and the power of one individual to change history. Arrested for teaching, John Scopes’s crime riveted the world, as crowds flocked to the trial of the man who dared to tell students about evolution, a forbidden topic in 1925 Tennessee classrooms. Lawyers wanted to challenge the law, and businessmen smelled opportunity. The trial ignited a firestorm and a media circus followed. Reporters, souvenir vendors, angry protestors, and even real monkeys mobbed the courthouse, while a breathless public followed live on national radio. The trial highlighted the bitter duel between science and religion, boiling down to who controls students' learning—a timeless issue. Through visuals and prose, Anita Sanchez captures the passion, personalities, and pageantry of the notorious 'Monkey Trial,' emphasizing the quiet dignity of the teacher who stood for his students’ right to learn.