Final answer:
The theory of evolution was outlawed in Tennessee due to the enactment of the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of any theory that denied the biblical story of Creationism. This law was passed to promote the teaching of the biblical version of creation instead of the theory of evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Tennessee, the theory of evolution was outlawed due to the passage of a local law called the Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach any theory that denied the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible. This law was enacted because religious leaders in Tennessee wanted to promote the teaching of the biblical version of creation, which contradicted the theory of evolution. The trial of John T. Scopes, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, became a cultural debate rather than an investigation of the validity of the law.