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Clarence Darrow

Definition

Clarence Darrow was a famous American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for his defense of John T. Scopes in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial (1925), which debated the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Analogy

Think of Clarence Darrow as a superhero lawyer, like Daredevil from Marvel comics. Just as Daredevil fights for justice in Hell's Kitchen, Darrow fought for civil liberties and against oppressive laws in courtrooms across America.

Related terms

Scopes Trial: A 1925 legal case where high school teacher John T. Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): An organization founded in 1920 to defend and preserve individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

Evolution: The scientific theory that species evolve over time through natural selection, often contrasted with creationism during debates about education policy.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.