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Tired of put-downs, Tennessee town corrects the record with play about the Scopes trial it hosted

DAYTON, Tenn. (AP) — A small town in eastern Tennessee courted national publicity and attention a century ago when local leaders planned a test trial over the teaching of evolution in public schools. What they got from the eight-day Scopes trial was more than they bargained for.

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Tired of put-downs, Tennessee town corrects the record with play about the Scopes trial it hosted

Stan Lane, portraying Judge John T. Raulston in the play “Destiny in Dayton” acts during a rehearsal, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)


DAYTON, Tenn. (AP) — A small town in eastern Tennessee courted national publicity and attention a century ago when local leaders planned a test trial over the teaching of evolution in public schools. What they got from the eight-day Scopes trial was more than they bargained for.

The trial of the century — and the first to be broadcast over the radio — inspired articles, books, plays and movies, including the popular “Inherit the Wind.”

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