Wanderlust World Wanderlust World In 1925, Tennessee teacher John Scopes was prosecuted under the Butler Act for teaching evolution in a public school.
The nickname stems from the metaphorical link between Darwin's theory—that humans and apes share a common ancestor—and the popular notion of "descending from monkeys." The trial became a cultural flashpoint over science, religion, and education.
The Scopes Trial highlighted the tension between modern science and fundamentalist legislation, a debate that continues in various forms today.