Read this: Center of the Storm

Center of the Storm is the autobiography of John Scopes, the Tennessee man convicted of teaching evolution during the Scope's Monkey Trial of 1925. In addition to hearing his thoughts about his role in what was then referred to as the "trial of the century", the book is also an interesting look into that period of time, both inside and outside the courthouse. Scopes makes no bones about his role, referring to himself as "the body that was needed to sit in the defendant's chair", and he stresses the need for freedom of thought (and freedom from the though police).

The basic freedoms of speech, religion, academic freedom to teach and to think for oneself defended at Dayton are not so distantly removed; each generation, each person must defend these freedoms or risk losing them forever. - John T. Scopes