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Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year

Summary

The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…

Matches: 19 hits

… 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
… mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A vicious dispute over an anonymous …
… and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt …
… one of the greatest men the world has ever produced. He gave a wonderful impetus to science by …
… from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such reminiscences led Darwin to the self-assessment, ‘as for one …
… backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). I feel …
… ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] ). Darwin mentioned his poor health so frequently in …
… 1874 ). Séances, psychics, and sceptics Darwin excused himself for reasons of …
… Erasmus’s house. The event was led by the medium Charles E. Williams, and was attended by George …
… all the horrid bother of correction’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 21 [March 1874] ). The book …
… Descent was published in November 1874 ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). Though …
… on subsequent print runs would be very good ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). …
… review me in a hostile spirit’ ( letter to John Murray, 11 August 1874 ). Darwin was …
… Correspondence vol. 20, letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). To Darwin’s relief, …
… in a few hours dissolve the hardest cartilage, bone & meat &c. &c.’ ( letter to W. D. …
… artificial gastric juice for about a week ( letter from E. E. Klein, 14 May 1874 ). John Burdon …
… try to get it exhibited at a Royal Society of London soirée (see letter from Anton Dohrn, 6 April …
… nephew, the fine-art specialist Henry Parker ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 17 [March 1874] ). He …
… Sharpe for promotion at the British Museum ( letter to R. B. Sharpe, 24 November [1874] ). He …

Darwin in letters, 1863: Quarrels at home, honours abroad

Summary

At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of animals and plants under domestication, anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied botanical experiments…

Matches: 21 hits

… At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
… , anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied …
… briefly’ ( letter to John Scott, 31 May [1863] ), and in a letter of 23 [June 1863] he wrote …
… am languid & bedeviled … & hate everybody’. Although Darwin did continue his botanical …
… letter-writing dwindled considerably. The correspondence and Darwin’s scientific work diminished …
… the correspondence from the year. These letters illustrate Darwin’s preoccupation with the …
… Evidence as to man’s place in nature both had a direct bearing on Darwin’s species theory and on …
… detailed anatomical similarities between humans and apes, Darwin was full of praise. He especially …
… in expressing any judgment on Species or origin of man’. Darwin’s concern about the popular …
… Lyell’s and Huxley’s books. Three years earlier Darwin had predicted that Lyell’s forthcoming …
… first half of 1863 focused attention even more closely on Darwin’s arguments for species change. …
… regarding species change ( letter from Charles Lyell, 11 March 1863 ). The botanist Asa Gray, …
… by descent put him ‘into despair’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 11 May [1863] ). In the same letter, he …
… seen how indignant all Owen’s lies and mean conduct about E. Columbi made me… . The case is come to …
… bottom of seas, lakes, and rivers ( Correspondence vol. 11 , Appendix VII). Quarrels at …
… sentence from the second edition of Antiquity of man (C. Lyell 1863b, p. 469), published in …
… Academy of Sciences, Berlin (see Correspondence vol. 11 , Appendix III), and of the Société des …
… Copley Medal had been unsuccessful ( see letter from E. A. Darwin to Emma Darwin, 11 November [1863 …
… the bookcase and around the head of the sofa ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [25 July 1863], and …
… very slowly recovering, but am very weak’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [29 September? 1863] ). …
… Thomas’s Hospital, London ( letter from George Busk, [ c. 27 August 1863] ). Brinton, who …

Darwin’s queries on expression

Summary

When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations more widely and composed a list of queries on human expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller…

Matches: 23 hits

… When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect …
… ease of distribution sometime in late 1867 or early 1868. Darwin went over his questions, refining …
… was the collection of observations on a global scale. Darwin was especially interested in peoples …
… cultural and conventional, or instinctive and universal. Darwin used his existing correspondence …
… and with the mouth a little drawn back at the corners?” Darwin’s questionnaire was an extension of …
… was also carefully devised so as to prevent the feelings of Darwin’s remote observers from colouring …
… and not the susceptibilities of a moral nature.” Darwin did not typically countenance such …
… the collection of information to its display in print. After Darwin received all of the replies to …
… except “yes” or “no.” “The same state of mind” Darwin would later assert in Expression of the …
… uniformity.” Table of Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter …
… could available online ahead of schedule as part of the “Darwin and Human Nature” project, funded by …
… nodding vertically Blair, R.H. 11 July …
… Fuegians Brooke, C.A.J. 30 Nov 1870 …
… Dyaks Brooke, C.A.J. 30 April 1871 …
… Chaumont, F.S.B.F. de 11 March 1871 Woolston, …
… blushing Darwin, Francis 20 June 1867 …
… aborigines Lubbock, E.F. [1867-8?] …
… from Dr. C. Browne Meyer, A.B. 25 April …
… Reade, Winwood W. [c.8 or 9 Apr 1870] Accra, West …
… 9 Nov 1870 11 St Mary Abbot's Terrace, London, England …
… 1 Feb 1871 11 St Mary Abbot's Terrace, London, England …
… 7 Sept 1872 11 St Mary Abbot's Terrace, London, England …
… in Hottentots Smyth, R. Brough 13 Aug 1868 …

Darwin in letters, 1872: Job done?

Summary

'My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, 'is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’, and the tenor of his correspondence throughout the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye…

Matches: 23 hits

… ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little …
… the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye to the crafting of his legacy. …
… of On the origin of species , intended to be Darwin’s last, and of Expression of the …
… in relation to sex , published in 1871, these books brought a strong if deceptive sense of a job …
… himself without writing anything more on 'so difficult a subject, as evolution’ ( letter to A. …
… earthworms in shaping the environment. The former led to a series of books and papers, and the …
… worms , published in the year before his death. Despite Darwin’s declared intention to take up new …
… begun many years before. In his private life also, Darwin was in a nostalgic frame of mind, …
… The last word on Origin The year opened with Darwin, helped by his eldest son William, …
… on 30 January , shortly after correcting the proofs, and Darwin’s concern for the consolidation of …
… and sixth editions were costly to incorporate, and despite Darwin’s best efforts, set the final …
… remained unpublished at the end of the year ( letter from C.-F. Reinwald, 23 November 1872 ). …
… St George Jackson Mivart ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). A worsening …
… Whale & duck most beautiful’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 3 March 1872 ). I …
… Mivart not to acknowledge it ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). 'I hate …
… selection is somewhat under a cloud’, he wrote to J. E. Taylor on 13 January , and he complained …
… attacks on Darwin became notorious, had written on 11 May expressing concern that his recently, …
… from his ignorance, he feels no doubts’ ( letter to F. C. Donders, 17 June 1872 ). Right up to the …
… by her husband, Richard Buckley Litchfield ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 13 May 1872 ). Delivery …
… 'I know that I am half-killed myself’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 25 July 1872 ). A …
… a week later ( enclosure to letter from John Lubbock to W. E. Gladstone, 20 June 1872 ). Darwin …
… Charlton Bastian’s recent book on the origin of life (H. C. Bastian 1872; Wallace 1872d) left him …
… than usual. One such old friend was Sarah Haliburton, né e Owen, to whose sister, Fanny, Darwin had …

Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life

Summary

1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time. And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth. All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…

Matches: 18 hits

… The year 1876 started out sedately enough with Darwin working on the first draft of his book on the …
… games. ‘I have won, hurrah, hurrah, 2795 games’, Darwin boasted; ‘my wife … poor creature, has won …
… and cosseting regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm …
… Cross and self fertilisation , that the family suffered a devastating loss. The Darwins must have …
… expected in September. Their joy at the safe delivery of a healthy boy was soon replaced by anguish …
… his anxiety about Francis. By the end of the year there was a different order at Down House with …
… of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February 1876 ). When …
… effected by his forthcoming pamphlet, Darwin confounded (C. O’Shaughnessy 1876), which, he …
… and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). Although …
… year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less welcome reaction …
… naturalist Thomas Edward ( letter from F. M. Balfour, 11 December 1876 ; letter to Samuel Smiles …
… because of a ‘long and terrible illness’ ( letter to C. S. Wedgwood, 20 April 1876 ). By the time …
… who died at the age of 10 in 1851, but William, who was 11 years old at the time of her death, would …
… we have & you are one of the best of all’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876] ). …
… she confided to Henrietta (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [31 August 1876] (DAR 219.9: …
… herself & is so tender’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [13 September 1876] (DAR 210.6 …
… completed autobiography (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [13 September 1876] (DAR 210.6: …
… horticulturists and agriculturists in France ( letter from E. M. Heckel, 27 December 1876 ). In …

Darwin in letters, 1877: Flowers and honours

Summary

Ever since the publication of Expression, Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and early summer were spent completing Forms of flowers, his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the…

Matches: 24 hits

… Ever since the publication of Expression , Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The …
… spent completing Forms of flowers , his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the …
… of bloom, each of these projects would culminate in a major publication. Darwin’s botany was …
… assisted his father’s research on movement and bloom, and Darwin in turn encouraged his son’s own …
… by his engagement to Sara Sedgwick, an American from a family that the Darwins had befriended. The …
… from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Closer to home, Darwin received an honorary Doctorate of …
… sites for possible earthworm activity. Now in his 69th year, Darwin remained remarkably productive, …
… no controversy. In his autobiographical reflections, Darwin remarked: ‘no little discovery of …
… (‘Recollections’, p. 419). During the winter and spring, Darwin was busy preparing the manuscript of …
… and presented to the Linnean Society of London. In the book, Darwin adopted the more recent term …
… as dimorphic without comparing pollen-grains & stigmas’, Darwin remarked to Joseph Dalton …
… the fertility of individual flowers and plants across a range of common species, such as the …
… the popularity of his book, writing to Robert Cooke on 11 April , ‘though I believe it is of …
… for extended periods. In a letter to Thiselton-Dyer of 11 October , Darwin described how the …
… one of the young leaves with a delicate twig’ ( letter to R. I. Lynch, 14 September 1877 ). …
… but I think the great honour of its being printed in the R. Soc. Transactions, (sh d . the …
… of Kosmos covering the German debate (letters to W. E. Gladstone, 2 October 1877 and 25 …
… form and of motion was exact and lively’ ( letter from W. E. Gladstone, 23 October 1877 ). …
… larger aim was announced in the subtitle: Zeitschrift fü r einheitliche Weltanschauung auf Grund …
… Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel). Writing to Darwin on 11 March 1877 , Krause declared the …
… ‘but found him as soft & smooth as butter’ ( letter to C. E. Norton, 16 March 1877 ). Hooker …
… I hope it may remain for centuries to come’ ( letter from C. C. Graham, 30 January 1877 ). Graham …
… the gospel of dirt the order of the day’ ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 27 January [1877] ). Carlyle …
… study of medical monstrosity ( letter from C. T. E. Siebold, 10 October 1877 ). An American banker …

Race, Civilization, and Progress

Summary

Darwin's first reflections on human progress were prompted by his experiences in the slave-owning colony of Brazil, and by his encounters with the Yahgan peoples of Tierra del Fuego. Harsh conditions, privation, poor climate, bondage and servitude,…

Matches: 17 hits

… Letters | Selected Readings Darwin's first reflections on human progress were …
… human progress or cause degeneration. In the "Fuegians", Darwin thought he had witnessed …
… homeland by Robert FitzRoy several years earlier as part of a missionary enterprise. Darwin was …
… been returned to their native land. After the voyage, Darwin began to question the …
… toward increased complexity and variety, he suggested, was a bi-product of the abundance of life; …
… After the publication of Origin of Species , many of Darwin's supporters continued to …
… or extermination of other peoples and cultures. When Darwin wrote about the human races and …
… on human and animal behavior accumulated over three decades. Darwin argued forcefully for the unity …
… moral powers. The "grade of civilization", he wrote, "seems a most important element …
… and beyond. Letters Darwin’s first observations of the peoples …
… Cambridge, John Stevens Henslow. Letter 204 : Darwin to Henslow, J. S., 11 April 1833 …
… Charles wrote to his sister, Emily Catherine Darwin, about witnessing slavery in the Portuguese …
… effect in the following year. Letter 206 : Darwin to Darwin, E. C., 22 May [– 14 July] …
… , 6 th ed, p. 98). Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C., 11 October [1859] …
… William Graham. Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C., 11 October [1859] I …
… in rank." Letter 4510 : Darwin to Wallace, A. R., 28 [May 1864] "Now …
… Primary Charles Darwin, Notebooks, B 18-29; E 95-7 [ available at Darwinonline ] …

Darwin in letters, 1864: Failing health

Summary

On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July 1864: ‘the venerable beard gives the look of your having suffered, and … of having grown older’. Because of poor health, Because of poor health, Darwin…

Matches: 20 hits

… On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July …
… … of having grown older’. This portrait, the first of Darwin with his now famous beard, had been …
… of dimorphic plants with William’s help; he also ordered a selection of new climbing plants for his …
… 52 hours without vomiting!! In the same month, Darwin began to consult William Jenner, …
… physician-in-ordinary to Queen Victoria. Jenner prescribed a variety of antacids and purgatives, and …
… the dimorphic aquatic cut-grass Leersia . In May, Darwin finished his paper on Lythrum …
… continued throughout the summer. When he finished a preliminary draft of his paper on climbing …
… he had set aside the previous summer. In October, Darwin let his friends know that on his …
… and he received more letters of advice from Jenner. In a letter of 15 December [1864] to the …
… November and December were also marked by the award to Darwin of the Royal Society’s Copley Medal; …
… been unsuccessfully nominated the two previous years. As Darwin explained to his cousin William …
… continue his observations indoors ( Correspondence vol. 11 ). In a letter of [27 January 1864] …
… Menyanthes ( letter from Emma and Charles Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [20 May 1864] ), or his …
… 5 September 1864 ). Fritz Müeller sent his book, Für Darwin , and Darwin had it translated by a …
… two letters to the Athenæum ( Correspondence vol. 11 ). Darwin’s anxiety about the matter was …
… circulating with the 1864 subscription fund ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 1 February [1864] ). …
… but Lyell says when I read his discussion in the Elements [C. Lyell 1865] I shall recant for fifth …
… and the question of human origins ( Correspondence vol. 11 ). Wallace, however, traced a possible …
… on intellectual & moral qualities’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). …
… … & too light to turn into candlesticks’ ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 1 December 1864 ). …

Darwin in letters, 1878: Movement and sleep

Summary

In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to the movements of plants. He investigated the growth pattern of roots and shoots, studying the function of specific organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of…

Matches: 20 hits

… lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to …
… in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments to …
… plant laboratories in Europe. While Francis was away, Darwin delighted in his role as …
… the mental faculties of the two-year-old with those of a monkey. Another diversion from botanical …
… agent of progress. The year closed with remarkable news of a large legacy bequeathed to Darwin by a …
… birthday ( letter to Ernst Haeckel, 12 February [1878] ), Darwin reflected that it was ‘more …
… Expression ), and the final revision of Origin (1872), Darwin had turned almost exclusively to …
… position assumed by leaves at night (nyctitropism) was a protection against heat loss. ‘I think we …
… me much & has cost us great labour, as it has been a problem since the time of Linnaus. But we …
… Movement in plants In the spring of 1878, Darwin started to focus on the first shoots and …
… were enrolled as researchers, as were family members. Darwin asked his niece Sophy to observe …
… ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). While Darwin was studying the function of …
… on one side, then another, to produce movement in the stalk. Darwin compared adult and young leaves …
… after growth has ceased or nearly ceased.’ Finally, Darwin turned to plant motion below the …
… precision the lines of least resistance in the ground.’ Darwin would devote a whole chapter to the …
… sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] ). Having found plants …
… to expertise. ‘It is funny’, he wrote to Huxley on 11 August , ‘the Academy having elected a man …
… Record”’ ( letter from Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvár, 28 April 1878 ). ‘What a wonderful change …
… whatever he earnestly desires’ ( letter to James Grant, 11 March 1878 ). The question of …
… to natural science & aids me in my work; a 4th son is in the R. Engineers & is getting on …

Women as a scientific audience

Summary

Target audience? | Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those exchanged with his editors and publisher, reveal a lot about his intended audience. Regardless of whether or not women were deliberately targeted as a…

Matches: 7 hits

… Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those …
… that his views are original and will appeal to the public. Darwin asks Murray to forward the …
… and criticisms of style. Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] …
… obscure, even after it had been proofread and edited by “a lady”. Darwin, E. to Darwin, W …
… readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [8 February 1870] Darwin …
… work. Letter 5861 - Blyth, E. to Darwin, [11 February 1868] Zoologist …
… Letter 9633 - Nevill, D. F. to Darwin, [11 September 1874] Dorothy Nevill tells …

Henrietta Darwin's diary

Summary

Darwin's daughter Henrietta kept a diary for a few momentous weeks in 1871. This was the year in which Descent of Man, the most controversial of her father's books after Origin itself, appeared, a book which she had helped him write. The small…

Matches: 13 hits

… Charles Darwin’s daughter Henrietta wrote the following journal entries in March and …
… 1871 in a small lockable, leather-bound notebook now in the Darwin Archive of Cambridge University …
… excised within it, presumably by Henrietta herself. Darwin’s letters in 1870 and 1871 ( …
… scepticism; many of her arguments are reminiscent of Darwin’s own discussion of religious belief in …
… of the theory of natural selection. Snow occasionally sent Darwin information relating to his …
… one of Descent (see letter from Charles and Emma Darwin to F. J. Wedgwood, [March 1871?], and …
… period of their courtship. We are grateful to William Darwin for permission to publish the …
… amongst whom of course was Lena had any knowledge of it. M r . W. spoke or preached as u like to …
… Father who w d be waiting for her—when down came M r . W. on his knees between them & said, …
… worship of humanity—this I hope is only in its bud— I c d conceive a life wh. was filled & …
… be a good wife I have indeed neglected my 10 talents. 11 July 5th. A beautiful day …
… mind. And yet I don’t feel in such a fever & I slept this a.m. I believe what he says is the …
… . 10 Bradshaw’s railway guide . 11 For the biblical parable of the talents …

Darwin on race and gender

Summary

Darwin’s views on race and gender are intertwined, and mingled also with those of class. In Descent of man, he tried to explain the origin of human races, and many of the differences between the sexes, with a single theory: sexual selection. Sexual…

Matches: 22 hits

… Darwin’s views on race and gender are intertwined, and mingled also with …
… races, and many of the differences between the sexes, with a single theory: sexual selection. Sexual …
… in beetles. The unity of human species Darwin believed that the same process of sexual …
… gradually increase those features over long periods of time. Darwin’s theory was based partly on the …
… seemed to prevail across the globe. In Descent , Darwin also addressed widely held beliefs …
… in effect separate species), and the fixity of racial types. A leading factor in disputes about …
… of ‘species’, ‘varieties’, and ‘races’. Darwin argued forcefully for the unity of the human species, …
… Gender and civilisation In his early notebooks, Darwin remarked that survival value or …
… , B74). In his later writings on plants and animals, Darwin remained consistent on this point, and …
… improvement, or design. However, when it came to humans, Darwin reintroduced the structure of …
… and present, on the basis of their ‘civilization’. Here Darwin drew on contemporary anthropology, …
… colonial conquests and expansion abroad. Thus, while Darwin’s views on race differed widely …
… men, and of non-European peoples becoming ‘civilized’ (i.e. European). Of the three Yahgans who had …
… ( Beagle diary , p. 143). He was delighted to receive a letter from an African correspondent …
… Gaika as an authoritative observer in Expression . He had a number of women correspondents who …
… were often crossed in practice ( see correspondence with C. Kennard, below ). The implications of …
… Key letters: Letter to J. S. Henslow, 11 April 1833 Letter to C. R. Lyell, 11 …
… 1867] Further reading: Crais, Clifton C. 1992. White supremacy and black …
… Press. Desmond, Adrian and James Moore. 2009. Darwin's sacred cause . London: Allen …
… British Journal of the History of Science 6: 9–23 [in a special issue on ‘Descent of Darwin: race, …
… . New Haven: Yale University Press. Young, Robert J. C. 1995. Colonial desire: hybridity in …
… with women Key letters : Letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] …

Darwin in letters,1866: Survival of the fittest

Summary

The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now considerably improved. In February, Darwin received a request from his publisher, John Murray, for a new edition of Origin. Darwin got the fourth…

Matches: 16 hits

… The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now …
… all but the concluding chapter of the work was submitted by Darwin to his publisher in December. …
… hypothesis of hereditary transmission. Debate about Darwin’s theory of transmutation …
… of special creation on the basis of alleged evidence of a global ice age, while Asa Gray pressed …
… you go on, after the startling apparition of your face at R.S. Soirèe—which I dreamed of 2 nights …
… on those terms so you are in for it’ ( letter from H. E. Darwin, [ c . 10 May 1866] ). …
… Haeckel. The German zoologist had written to Darwin on 11 January 1866 , ‘Every time I succeed in …
… Georg Bronn, had been published in 1860 and 1863 by the firm E. Schweizerbart’sche …
… teleological development ( see for example, letter to C. W. Nägeli, 12 June [1866] ). Also in …
… common broom ( Cytisus scoparius ) and the white broom ( C. multiflorus ) in his botanical …
… and June on the subject of Rhamnus catharticus (now R. cathartica ). Darwin had become …
… (Correspondence vol. 9, letter from Asa Gray, 11 October 1861 ). Darwin wished to establish …
… of separate sexes. William gathered numerous specimens of R. catharticus , the only species of …
… was ‘merely ordinaryly diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 May – 11 June 1866] ). On …
… a case of dimorphic becoming diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 20 June [1866] ). Darwin …
… I am well accustomed to such explosions’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 22 June [1866] ). He urged …

Women’s scientific participation

Summary

Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…

Matches: 18 hits

… | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
… Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August 1849] Darwin …
… peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to Darwin, [29 October …
… in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] …
… officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to Darwin, [after February 1867] …
… home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L to Darwin, [8 & 9 May …
… to Darwin’s queries about Expression during a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 …
… January 1868] Darwin asks Thomas Huxley to pass on a questionnaire to his wife, Henrietta. …
… 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October 1869] Darwin’s …
… Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [5 May 1870] …
… Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November1872] Anne Jane Cupples, …
… her niece’s ears. Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, [1873] Ellen …
… insects. Men: Letter 2221 - Blyth, E. to Darwin, [22 February 1858] …
… Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
… Lychnis diurna. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
… lawn. Letter 8224 - Darwin to Ruck, A. R., [24 February 1872] Darwin …
… Letter 4928 - Henslow, G. to Darwin, [11 November 1865] J. S. Henslow’s son, George, …
… Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] Darwin expresses anxiety over …

Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex

Summary

The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…

Matches: 19 hits

… On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
… and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
… or in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in …
… to the stridulation of crickets. At the same time, Darwin continued to collect material on …
… his immediate circle of friends and relations. In July 1868 Darwin was still anticipating that his …
… which was devoted to sexual selection in the animal kingdom. Darwin described his thirst for …
… in January 1868. A final delay caused by the indexing gave Darwin much vexation. ‘My book is …
… Murray to intervene, complaining on 9 January , ‘M r . Dallas’ delay … is intolerable … I am …
… it was by Gray himself, but Darwin corrected him: ‘D r Gray would strike me in the face, but not …
… . It is a disgrace to the paper’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 24 February [1868] ). The review was …
… April 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the Rev d C. Darwin M.d’; Binstead evidently assumed …
… the enthusiastic breeder, who apologised in a letter of 11 –13 May 1868 for his ‘voluminuous zeal …
… Weir, 30 May [1868] ). Sexual selection On 11 February , Darwin wrote to the …
… I did not see this, or rather I saw it only obs[c]urely, & have kept only a few references.’ …
… views differed. Of deer-hounds, Cupples wrote between 11 and 13 May , ‘much depends on the …
… and had himself watched elephants cry (letters to W. E. Darwin, [15 March 1868] and 8 April …
… of her two-month old daughter Katherine ( letter from C. M. Hawkshaw to Emma Darwin, 9 February …
… rest mostly on faith, and on accumulation of adaptations, &c) … Of course I understand your …
… ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868], n. 11 ). ‘I am not sure’, Darwin reflected in a …

Religion

Summary

Design|Personal Belief|Beauty|The Church Perhaps the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same can be said of the evolution controversy today; however the nature of the disputes and the manner in…

Matches: 11 hits

… the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same …
… nineteenth century were different in important ways. Many of Darwin's leading supporters were …
… their religious beliefs with evolutionary theory. Darwin's own writing, both in print and …
… although he tended to avoid the subject as much as possible. A number of correspondents tried to …
… political contexts. Design Darwin was not the first to challenge …
… on the controversial topic of design. The first is between Darwin and Harvard botanist Asa Gray, …
… Letter 3342 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 11 Dec [1861] Darwin writes to Gray about politics …
… Letter 5307 — Darwin, C. R. to Boole, M. E., 14 Dec 1866 Darwin believes he is unable to …
… Letter 8070 — Darwin, C. R. to Abbot, F. E., 16 Nov [1871] Darwin explains why he must …
… Letter 5004 — Darwin, C. R. to Shaw, James, 11 Feb [1866] Darwin thanks James Shaw for the …
… Letter 1536 — Darwin, C. R. to Lubbock, J. W. (b), 11 Oct [1853] Darwin gives his opinion to …

Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small

Summary

In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…

Matches: 24 hits

… In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous …
… chlorophyll by examining thin slices of plant tissue under a microscope. When not experimenting, he …
… for scientific colleagues or their widows facing hardship. Darwin had suffered from poor health …
… more weak than usual. To Lawson Tait, he remarked, ‘I feel a very old man, & my course is nearly …
… early April, he was being carried upstairs with the aid of a special chair. The end came on 19 April …
… 1881. But some of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater …
… Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwin’s greatest scientific pleasure. The year …
… to Fritz Müller, 4 January 1882 ). These were topics that Darwin had been investigating for years, …
… working at the effects of Carbonate of Ammonia on roots,’ Darwin wrote, ‘the chief result being that …
… the nature of their contents, if immersed for some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. …
… London on 6 and 16 March, respectively. In January, Darwin corresponded with George John …
… letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 28 December 1881 ). Darwin had a long-running interest in such …
… the flowers & experimentising on them’ ( letter to J. E. Todd, 10 April 1882 ). While …
… rather the best of the fight’ ( letter from G. F. Crawte, 11 March 1882 ). The battle apparently …
… our homes, would in this case greatly suffer’ ( letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). Kennard …
… judged, intellectually his inferior, please ( letter from C. A. Kennard, 28 January 1882 ). …
… a ‘Glycerin Pepsin mixture’ (letters to W. W. Baxter, 11 March 1882 and 18 March [1882 ]). …
… he is a good deal depressed about himself’ (letter from H. E. Litchfield to G. H. Darwin, 17 March …
… immediately wrote to George, who had visited Down on 11 April (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). …
… is very calm but she has cried a little’ (letter from H. E. Litchfield to G. H. Darwin, [19 April …
… overflowing in tenderness’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, 10 May 1882 (DAR 219.1: 150)). …
… where he had witnessed an earthquake in 1835 ( letter from R. E. Alison, [March–July 1835 ]). …
… without any mercy’ ( letter from Emma Wedgwood to F. E. E. Wedgwood, [28 October 1836] , letter …
… will be months before I am able to work’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [ c . 10 April 1864] ). To …

List of correspondents

Summary

Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. Click on a name to see the letters Darwin exchanged with that correspondent. "A child of God" (1) Abberley,…

Matches: 5 hits

… Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. …
… (1) Athenæum (11) Atkin, J. R. (1) …
… (3) Bosquet, J. A. H. de (11) Bostock, John …
… (2) Breitenbach, Wilhelm (11) Brent, B. P. …
… Dareste, Camille (9) Darwin family (1) …

Have you read the one about....

Summary

... the atheistical cats, or the old fogies in Cambridge? We've suggested a few - some funny, some serious - but all letters you can read here.

Matches: 1 hits

… cats, or the old fogies in Cambridge? We've suggested a few - some funny, some serious - but …

Darwin in letters, 1881: Old friends and new admirers

Summary

In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began writing about all the eminent men he had met. He embarked on this task, which formed an addition to his autobiography, because he had nothing else to do. He had…

Matches: 21 hits

… In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began …
… restrict himself to ‘more confined & easy subjects’. A month earlier, on 23 February , he had …
… sweetest place on this earth’. From the start of the year, Darwin had his demise on his mind. He …
… provision for the dividing of his wealth after his death. Darwin’s gloominess was compounded by the …
… of his book on earthworms, published in October, was a boost. His 5-year-old grandson Bernard, who …
… Evolution old and new when revising his essay on Erasmus Darwin’s scientific work, and that Darwin …
… on 8 December. Krause countered Butler’s accusations in a review of Unconscious memory in …
… decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January 1881 ). Unlike …
… very surprising the whole case is to me’ (letters to W. E. Darwin, 31 January [1881] and 19 …
… the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 May …
… he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The degree of …
… falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). Darwin gave in …
… with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), while H. M. …
… little, to the general stock of knowledge’ ( letter to E. W. Bok, 10 May 1881 ). Josef Popper, an …
… to possibilities for women, judging from her organization &c’. When Darwin replied the following …
… ‘bread-winners’ ( Correspondence vol. 30, letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). …
… absurd for one with no pretensions’ (l etter from W. E. Darwin, 13 January [1881 ]), Darwin …
… after expressing their wish to visit Darwin ( letter from E. B. Aveling, 27 September [1881] ). …
… Britannica , telling the author, Arabella Buckley, on 11 July that he regretted that there …
… entirely new will. Apart from providing for his family, on 11 September he instructed his …
… and plants, Darwin told the director, Archibald Geikie, on 11 November , ‘This leads me to make …

Darwin Correspondence Project

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