The Scopes Monkey Trial was a landmark legal trial that took place in Tennessee in 1925, when John Scopes was accused of violating the state law by teaching evolution in a public school. The trial was a major cultural battle between fundamentalists who believed in literal interpretation of the Bible and those who argued that evolution was science. The trial was rich with symbolism – the prosecution was represented by William Jennings Bryan and the defense by Clarence Darrow.
Ultimately, Scopes was found guilty and fined by the judge, but the trial was seen as a victory for the defense, particularly in its exposure of the fundamentalist arguments.