history

The theory of Evolution was an idea that swept across America in the late 1800's & early 1900's. It was created by Charles Darwin. He argued that life on earth began many years ago & developed or evolved slowly to its present form. Humans evolved from apes over millions of years.All over the world this idea was way too much. Darwin was suggesting that there didnt need to be a God to explain human existence. Darwin is however a religious man but he said" the bible is for your soul and moralls, however for science you have to go to a textbook.

Many Americans are very religious people. In fact several states in the south and mid-west -Tennesee,Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Kansas, for example are known as the bible belt states. People in these states go tto church regularly and believe that everything in the bible is true.

When the bible tells them that God created the world in 5 days and on the 6 day created human beings in his own image, they believe it. Darwin's theory opposes this view totally, claiming that life on earth, including humans, evolved slowly- man wasnt created in one day.

By the 1920's, Darwin's theeory was being taught as part of Biology lessons in most of Americas classrooms. By 1924 6 states in the bible belt felt that enough was enough. They decided to stop this new theory that tried to undermine the bible and passed laws making it illegal for teachers to teach the thoery of evolution.

(Few days later john scopes set himself up by teaching the theory to 14yr olds and get his friend to walk in on him.)