The central issue of the Scopes Trial in 1925, often called the "Scopes Monkey Trial," was the legality of teaching evolution in public schools. John T. Scopes, a high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, was charged with violating the Butler Act, which prohibited the instruction of Darwin's theory of evolution. The trial became a significant legal and cultural battle between modern science and religious fundamentalism. Prominent figures like Clarence Darrow defended Scopes, while William Jennings Bryan represented the prosecution. Ultimately, the trial highlighted the conflict between traditional beliefs and emerging scientific thought in American society.