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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: 19 hits

… Letters | Selected Readings Darwin's first reflections on human progress were …
… he had witnessed man in his most "primitive wildness" ( letter to Henslow, 11 April 1833 …
… the publication of Origin of Species , many of Darwin's supporters continued to believe that …
… beyond. Letters Darwin’s first observations of the peoples of …
… 1833 which took effect in the following year. Letter 206 : Darwin to Darwin, E. C., 22 …
… of the polygenist theory of human descent. Letter 4933 : Farrar, F. W. to Darwin, …
… native, Christian Gaika. Darwin was impressed by Gaika's knowledge of English and used some of …
… about the state of civilization of the natives. Letter 5617 , Darwin to Weale, J. P. M …
… wonderful fact in the progress of civilization" Letter 5722 , Weale, J. P. M. to …
… of Species , Darwin discussed his views on progress in a letter to Charles Lyell, insisting that …
… This remained a point of dispute between many of Darwin’s scientific supporters, including Lyell, …
… of life" ( Origin , 6 th ed, p. 98). Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C …
… not profit it, there would be no advance.— " Letter 6728 : from Charles Lyell, 5 …
… explained by Natural Selection I rather hail Wallace’s suggestion that there may be a Supreme Will …
… but may guide the forces & laws of Nature." Letter 6866 : From Federico Delpino …
… in this inner principle, inborn in all things." Letter 8658 : to Alpheus Hyatt, 4 …
… Wallace, and the philosopher William Graham. Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C., …
… the less intellectual races being exterminated." Letter 3439 : Darwin to Kingsley, …
… Secondary Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin's Sacred Cause . London: Allen …

Scientific Networks

Summary

Friendship|Mentors|Class|Gender In its broadest sense, a scientific network is a set of connections between people, places, and things that channel the communication of knowledge, and that substantially determine both its intellectual form and content,…

Matches: 11 hits

… and colonial authorities. In the nineteenth-century, letter writing was one of the most important …
… in times of uncertainty, controversy, or personal loss. Letter writing was not only a means of …
… The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. Hooker. The second is between Darwin …
… to Hooker “it is like confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D. …
… wide-ranging genera. Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, …
… flora of the USA. He sends a list of plants from Gray’s Manual of botany [1848] and asks him to …
… Letter 1202 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Oct [1848] Darwin catches up on personal …
… Mentors Darwin's close relationship with John Stevens Henslow, the professor of botany …
… Mentors This collection of letters documents Henslow’s mentoring while Darwin was on the …
… mail to Montevideo. He talks of being a sort of Protégé of Henslow’s and it is Henslow’s “bounden …
… Letter 3800 — Scott, John to Darwin, C. R., [11 Nov 1862] Scottish gardener John Scott notes …

Darwin in letters, 1860: Answering critics

Summary

On 7 January 1860, John Murray published the second edition of Darwin’s Origin of species, printing off another 3000 copies to satisfy the demands of an audience that surprised both the publisher and the author. It wasn't long, however, before ‘the…

Matches: 20 hits

… 1860, John Murray published the second edition of Darwin’s Origin of species , printing off …
… learn that the book was on sale even in railway stations ( letter to Charles Lyell, 14 January …
… the book, thinking that it would be nice easy reading.’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 22 May [1860] ). …
… But it was the opinion of scientific men that was Darwin’s main concern. He eagerly scrutinised each …
… he told Hooker, did not at all concern his main argument ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 January [1860] …
… his theory would have been ‘ utterly smashed’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 3 July [1860] ). (A …
… from right principles of scientific investigation.—’ ( letter to J. S. Henslow, 8 May [1860] ). …
… were inexplicable by the theory of creation. Asa Gray’s statement in his March review that natural …
… a theory solely by explaining an ample lot of facts.’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 18 February [1860] ). …
… phenomena it comes in time to be admitted as real.’ ( letter to C. J. F. Bunbury, 9 February [1860] …
… fellow Henry Fawcett in the December issue of Macmillan’s Magazine . Fawcett asserted that Darwin …
… natural selection did not necessarily lead to progression ( letter to Charles Lyell, 18 [and 19 …
… considered it more a failure than a success ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 February [1860] ). …
… two physiologists, and five botanists ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 March [1860] ). Others, like …
… ‘master of the field after 4 hours battle’ (letter from J. D. Hooker, 2 July 1860). Other …
… rather than against Darwin’s book per se . Prodded by Henslow’s defence of the integrity of …
… were already proved) to his own views.—’ ( letter from J. S. Henslow to J. D. Hooker, 10 May 1860 …
… (letters to Charles Lyell, 1 June [1860] and 11 August [1860] ). As the months passed …
… these visits have led to changed structure.’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 27 April [1860] ). Tracing …
… months later, ‘just as at a game of chess.’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 [July 1860] ). With the …

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: 16 hits

… Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
… Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
… silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
… observations of cats’ instinctive behaviour. Letter 4258 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, …
… to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
… expression of emotion in her pet dog and birds. Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. …
… him. Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October …
… of wormholes. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November1872] …
… Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] Darwin thanks Hooker for …
… and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, [4 December 1867] …
… in a marble tablet”. Letter 6815 - Scott, J. to Darwin, [2 July 1869] John …
… Men: Letter 385 - Wedgwood, S. E. & J. to Darwin, [10 November 1837] …
… Hall, Staffordshire. Letter 1219 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [3 February 1849] …
… to look for more samples. Letter 4928 - Henslow, G. to Darwin, [11 November 1865] …
… Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] Darwin expresses anxiety over …
… Men: Letter 378 - Darwin to Henslow, J. S., [20 September 1837] Darwin …

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: 10 hits

… Darwin’s views on race and gender are intertwined, and mingled also with those of …
… coloured wings of male butterflies, the male peacock’s elaborate tail, the large horns or antlers on …
… increase those features over long periods of time. Darwin’s theory was based partly on the diverse …
… conquests and expansion abroad. Thus, while Darwin’s views on race differed widely from those …
… ( Beagle diary , p. 143). He was delighted to receive a letter from an African correspondent …
… them with equal respect. He actively supported women’s higher education in science and medicine, …
… and Progress Key letters: Letter to J. S. Henslow, 11 April 1833 …
… Desmond, Adrian and James Moore. 2009. Darwin's sacred cause . London: Allen Lane. …
… York: The Free Press. Voss, Julia. 2007, Darwin’s pictures: views of evolutionary theory, …
… Correspondence with women Key letters : Letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February …

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: 25 hits

… Down House measured by the ongoing tally of his and Emma’s backgammon games. ‘I have won, hurrah, …
… ‘my wife … poor creature, has won only 2490 games’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876 ). …
… Lodge with his wife, Amy, had settled in as his father’s botanical assistant, and their close …
… concussion from a riding accident, and George Darwin’s ill-health grew worse, echoing Darwin’s own …
… of the next generation of the family, with Francis and Amy’s child expected in September. Their joy …
… to think of the future’, Darwin confessed to William on 11 September just hours after Amy’s …
… dimorphic and trimorphic plants in new ways. New Year's resolutions Darwin began …
… quantity of work’ left in him for ‘new matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The …
… to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February …
… not even to look at a single proof ’. Perhaps Carus’s meticulous correction of errors in the German …
… & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. …
… provided evidence for the ‘advantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising …
… year to write about his life ( Correspondence vol. 23, letter from Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, 20 …
… nowadays is evolution and it is the correct one’ ( letter from Nemo, [1876?] ). …
… him ‘basely’ and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). …
… in an anonymous article, which impugned not only George’s but also Darwin’s respectability (see …
… disgrace’ of blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ) …
… results in this year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less …
… by the mutual pressure of very young buds’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 21 June [1876] ). Darwin …
… naturalist Thomas Edward ( letter from F. M. Balfour, 11 December 1876 ; letter to Samuel Smiles …
… paper was ‘not worthy of being read ever’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 28 January 1876 ). Darwin …
… who died at the age of 10 in 1851, but William, who was 11 years old at the time of her death, would …
… you are one of the best of all’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876] ). …
… do I cannot conceive’, Darwin wrote anxiously to Hooker on 11 September. By the time Darwin …
… Hildebrand, 6 December 1876 , and letter from F. J. Cohn, 31 December 1876 ). To Darwin’s …

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: 25 hits

… spent an extended period in Würzburg at Julius Sachs’s botanical institute, one of most advanced …
… Darwin delighted in his role as grandfather to Francis’s son Bernard, occasionally comparing the …
… Hooker, ‘or as far as I know any scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). …
… Sophy to observe the arching shoots of Neottia (bird’s nest orchid) near her home in Surrey: ‘If …
… or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). …
… when he finds out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] …
… Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). …
… apart. At the start of June, Francis left to work at Sach’s laboratory in Germany, not returning …
… accursed German language: Sachs is very kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June …
… have nobody to talk to, about my work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] …
… but it is horrid not having you to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). …
… determine whether they had chlorophyll, Francis reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 …
… be obtained at Down House, but Francis thought Horace’s abilities were a match for German instrument …
… here is far from well made.’ (Jemmy or Jim was Horace’s nickname.) Francis was occasionally …
… letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ). Sachs’s confidence was apparently matched by his …
… on the object, but he will always do so’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 20 August [1878] ). Darwin …
… a monkey & a baby in your house!’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 2 September [1878] ). More …
… to play the part of a thieving wasp’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 21 June 1878 ). An …
… where his work had been more controversial ( letter from J.-B. Dumas and Joseph Bertrand, 5 August …
… to expertise. ‘It is funny’, he wrote to Huxley on 11 August , ‘the Academy having elected a man …
… and leaves Moses to take care of himself ’ ( letter from J. B. Innes, 1 December 1878 ). Darwin …
… whatever he earnestly desires’ ( letter to James Grant, 11 March 1878 ). The question of …
… European crop (see Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. S. Henslow, 28 October [1845] ). He …
… the matter be presented to the duke of Richmond ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 28 [February 1878] ). …
… That pecunious old couple of Worthing’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 14 December 1878 ). …

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: 22 hits

… ‘I feel a very old man, & my course is nearly run’ ( letter to Lawson Tait, 13 February 1882 ) …
… came on 19 April. Plans were made for a burial in St Mary’s churchyard in Down, where his brother …
… Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwin’s greatest scientific pleasure. The year …
… fertility of crosses between differently styled plants ( letter from Fritz Müller, 1 January 1882 …
… some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. Darwin’s interest in root response and the effects …
… François Marie Glaziou (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 20 …
… vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and beets. Romanes’s experiments had been conducted to lend …
… quite untirable & I am glad to shirk any extra labour’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 6 January …
… probably intending to test its effects on chlorophyll ( letter to Joseph Fayrer, 30 March 1882 ). …
… we know about the life of any one plant or animal!’ ( letter to Henry Groves, 3 April 1882 ). He …
… asymmetric, thus facilitating cross-fertilisation. Darwin’s aim, he said, was just to ‘have the …
… 1882 ). Earthworms and evolution Darwin’s last book, Earthworms , had been …
… V). The conservative Quarterly Review , owned by Darwin’s publisher John Murray, carried an …
… their burrows ( Correspondence vol. 29, letter from J. F. Simpson, 8 November 1881 ). He …
… the summit, whence it rolls down the sides’ ( letter from J. F. Simpson, 7 January 1882 ). The …
… on it, which would have pleased me greatly’ ( letter from J. H. Gilbert, 9 January 1882, and …
… rather the best of the fight’ ( letter from G. F. Crawte, 11 March 1882 ). The battle apparently …
… a ‘Glycerin Pepsin mixture’ (letters to W. W. Baxter, 11 March 1882 and 18 March [1882 ]). …
… desires, grant us this our modest request!’ ( letter from J. L. Ambrose, 3 April 1882 ). Darwin …
… immediately wrote to George, who had visited Down on 11 April (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). …
… were never very violent’ ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, [20 April 1882] ). In …
… man’s private property’ ( letter to George Warington, 11 October [1867] ). Respecting the …

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: 20 hits

… readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those …
… variety of women had access to, and engaged with, Darwin's published works. A set of letters on …
… Were women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
… Tollet for proofreading and criticisms of style. Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. …
… her to read to check that she can understand it. Letter 7312 - Darwin to Darwin, F. …
… from all but educated, typically-male readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E …
… he seeks her help with tone and style. Letter 7329 - Murray , J. to Darwin, [28 …
… in order to minimise impeding general perusal. Letter 7331 - Darwin to Murray, …
… he uses to avoid ownership of indelicate content. Letter 8335 - Reade, W. W. to …
… so as not to lose the interest of women. Letter 8341 - Reade, W. W. to Darwin, …
… which will make it more appealing to women. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to …
… got hold of it first. Darwin’s female readership Letter …
… with which to work. She has transcribed parts of Darwin’s papers, including diagrams, to share with …
… "epistolary acquaintance" of his, Sara Hennell . Hennell's writings show a &quot …
… - Barnard, A. to Darwin, [30 March 1871] J. S. Henslow’s daughter, Anne, responds to …
… with her father. Letter 7651 - Wedgwood, F. J. to Darwin, H. E., [1 April 1871] …
… be suitable. Letter 7411 - Pfeiffer, E. J. to Darwin, [before 26 April 1871] …
… work. Letter 5861 - Blyth, E. to Darwin, [11 February 1868] Zoologist …
… patience and care. Letter 6110 - Samuelson, J. to Darwin, [10 April 1868] …
… Letter 9633 - Nevill, D. F. to Darwin, [11 September 1874] Dorothy Nevill tells …

Darwin in letters, 1871: An emptying nest

Summary

The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, with the publication in February of his long-awaited book on human evolution, Descent of man. The other main preoccupation of the year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression.…

Matches: 24 hits

… book out of my head’. But a large proportion of Darwin’s time for the rest of the year was devoted …
… manner.”‘ The most lively debate centred on Darwin’s evolutionary account of the ‘higher’ faculties …
… brought a significant milestone for the family, as Darwin’s eldest daughter Henrietta was married in …
… human evolution was comparatively small, reflecting Darwin’s aim of showing kinship with animals at …
… Hooker suggested one of the reasons behind the book’s popularity: ‘I hear that Ladies think it …
… do to talk about it, which no doubt promotes the sale’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ) …
… Correspondence vol. 19, Appendix IV). Four of Darwin’s five sons received a copy, and his daughter …
… to her liking, ‘to keep in memory of the book’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 ). …
… and had forsaken his lunch and dinner in order to read it ( letter from James Crichton-Browne, 19 …
… they believe to be the truth, whether pleasant or not’ (letter from W. W. Reade, 21 February 1871). …
… & menstruation coming out of the primary fact that one’s n th . ancestor lived between tide …
… habits, furnished with a tail and pointed ears” (letter from Asa Gray, 14 April 1871) …
… ‘will-power’ and the heavy use of their arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 …
… in order to make it darker than the hair on his head ( letter from W. B. Tegetmeier, [before 25 …
… together with an image of an orang-utan foetus ( letter from Hinrich Nitsche, 18 April 1871 ). …
… of himself, adding that it made a ‘very poor return’ ( letter to Hinrich Nitsche, 25 April [1871] …
… letter from Arthur Nicols, 7 March 1871 ; letter from B. J. Sulivan, 11 March 1871 ; letter …
… A number of correspondents took issue with Darwin’s evolutionary explanation of the ‘higher’ …
… a high aesthetic appreciation of beauty ( letter from E. J. Pfeiffer, [before 26 April 1871] ). …
… and beetles to Descent , could not extend Darwin’s evolutionary theory beyond man’s ‘bodily frame …
… a good way ahead of you, as far as this goes’ ( letter to J. B. Innes, 29 May [1871] ). On …
… August 1871 ). The Anglican clergyman and naturalist George Henslow reported that he had been …
… only the ‘most guarded expressions’ ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 23 January [1871] ). …
… a ‘venerable old Ape’ ( letter from D. Thomas, [after 11 March 1871] ). Descent and …

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: 23 hits

… a meeting with Herbert Spencer, who was visiting Darwin’s neighbour, Sir John Lubbock. In February, …
… edition was with the printers in July. Much to Darwin’s annoyance, however, publication was delayed …
… Pound foolish, Penurious, Pragmatical Prigs’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [29 December 1866] ). But …
… by Darwin to his publisher in December. Much of Darwin’s correspondence in 1866 was focussed on …
… of hereditary transmission. Debate about Darwin’s theory of transmutation continued in …
… of a global ice age, while Asa Gray pressed Darwin’s American publisher for a revised edition of …
… the Advancement of Science. Fuller consideration of Darwin’s work was given by Hooker in an evening …
… able to write easy work for about 1½ hours every day’ ( letter to H. B. Jones, 3 January [1866] ). …
… once daily to make the chemistry go on better’ ( letter from H. B. Jones, 10 February [1866] ). …
… see you out with our beagles before the season is over’ ( letter from John Lubbock, 4 August 1866 …
… work doing me any harm—any how I can’t be idle’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 24 August [1866] ). …
… production of which Tegetmeier had agreed to supervise ( letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 16 January …
… of “Domestic Animals & Cult. Plants” to Printers’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24 December [1866] …
… more than the belief of a dozen physicists’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [28 February 1866] ). Darwin …
… me to worship Bence Jones in future—’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 13 May 1866 ). Darwin himself …
… then went for ¾ to Zoolog. Garden!!!!!!!!!’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [28 April 1866] ). …
… much to see him, though I dread all exertion’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [12 May 1866] ). Darwin’s …
… Haeckel. The German zoologist had written to Darwin on 11 January 1866 , ‘Every time I succeed in …
… (Correspondence vol. 9, letter from Asa Gray, 11 October 1861 ). Darwin wished to establish …
… diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 May – 11 June 1866] ). On examining more specimens later …
… & admit how little is known on the subject’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 and 4 August [1866] ). …
… see how differently we look at every thing’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 August [1866] ). Yet both …
… ‘I am glad to hear from Spencer’, Huxley wrote on 11 November , ‘that you are on the right (that …

Scientific Practice

Summary

Specialism|Experiment|Microscopes|Collecting|Theory Letter writing is often seen as a part of scientific communication, rather than as integral to knowledge making. This section shows how correspondence could help to shape the practice of science, from…

Matches: 16 hits

… | Microscopes | Collecting | Theory Letter writing is often seen as a part of …
… discussion was often the starting point for some of Darwin's most valuable and enduring …
… with detailed correspondence about barnacles. Letter 1514 — Darwin, C. R. to Huxley, T. …
… of one idea. – cirripedes morning & night.” Letter 1480 — Darwin, C. R. to Huxley, …
… of Living Cirripedia is published. He asks Huxley’s advice on presentation copies for …
… on embryological stages than Huxley thinks. Letter 1592 — Darwin, C. R. to Huxley, T. H …
… or the climbing habits of plants. One of Darwin's most important correspondents was the German …
… and difficulties of botanical experimentation. Letter 4895 — Darwin, C. R. to Müller, J …
… to be dichogamous. Letter 5429 — Müller, J. F. T. to Darwin, C. R., 4 Mar 1867 …
… of other species. Letter 5480 — Müller, J. F. T. to Darwin, C. R., 1 Apr 1867 …
… Letter 5551 — Darwin, C. R. to Müller, J. F. T., 26 May [1867] Darwin thanks Müller for …
… Letter 1018 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., [6 Nov 1846] Darwin tells Hooker, if he pays …
… Letter 1174 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 10 May 1848 Darwin discusses his barnacle work. …
… Collecting specimens was an indispensable part of Darwin’s scientific method. In this collection of …
… book. Letter 1140 — Darwin, C. R. to Ross, J. C., 31 Dec 1847 Darwin asks Ross to …
… This one contains a new species of genus which, to Darwin’s knowledge, only one specimen is known to …

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: 18 hits

… in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, …
… of changing the races of man’ (Correspondence vol. 12, letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). …
… book would take the form of a ‘short essay’ on man ( letter to Ernst Haeckel, 3 July 1868 ). But …
… as well say, he would drink a little and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ) …
… had expected to complete it in a fortnight. But at Darwin’s request, he modified his original plan, …
… though it would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from …
… of labour to remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). …
… if I try to read a few pages feel fairly nauseated’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 February [1868] ). …
… Generally favourable accounts appeared in some of London’s leading weeklies such as the Saturday …
… Gazette , was by George Henry Lewes, well-known in London’s literary circles and an author of …
… Darwin for comments. Darwin was clearly impressed by Lewes’s reviews. On 7 August 1868 , he wrote …
… by Owen’. John Edward Gray, a colleague of Richard Owen’s in the British Museum, agreed about the …
… a scamp & I begin to think a veritable ass’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868] ). …
… the enthusiastic breeder, who apologised in a letter of 11–13 May 1868 for his ‘voluminuous zeal …
… added, ‘for it is clear that I have none’ ( letter to J. J. Weir, 30 May [1868] ). Sexual …
… views differed. Of deer-hounds, Cupples wrote between 11 and 13 May , ‘much depends on the …
… of Hooker’s distributed it in Japan ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 5 September 1868 ); Edward Wilson, …
… ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868], n. 11 ). ‘I am not sure’, Darwin reflected in a …

Darwin in letters, 1861: Gaining allies

Summary

The year 1861 marked an important change in the direction of Darwin’s work. He had weathered the storm that followed the publication of Origin, and felt cautiously optimistic about the ultimate acceptance of his ideas. The letters from this year provide an…

Matches: 26 hits

… 1861 marked an important change in the direction of Darwin’s work. By then, he had weathered the …
… an unusually detailed and intimate understanding of Darwin’s problem-solving method of work and …
… friend Asa Gray to reprint and distribute in Britain Gray’s series of review-essays on this topic …
… will do me & Natural Selection, right good service’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 26–7 Februrary [1861] …
… III). However, Darwin himself remained unconvinced by Gray’s suggestion that providence may have …
… decline later in the year, scientific interest in Darwin’s views continued unabated and indeed …
… by George Maw, for example, singled out Darwin’s explanation of the numerous instances of the …
… ‘barometer’ of scientific opinion, Charles Lyell ( see letter to Charles Lyell, 20 July [1861] ). …
… selection could not be ‘directly proved’ ( see second letter to J. D. Hooker, 23 [April 1861] ). …
… disappointed to learn of John Frederick William Herschel’s initial cool response to his argument; he …
… and convert to his theory, Darwin learned of Mill’s view that the reasoning throughout Origin …
… with the strict principles of Logic’ and that Darwin’s methodology was ‘the only one proper to such …
… p. 18 n.). Later in the summer Fawcett himself made Darwin’s methodology the subject of a lecture …
… that ensued wherein there had been criticism of Darwin’s hypothesising. Darwin commented to Fawcett: …
… or against some view if it is to be of any service!’ ( letter to Henry Fawcett, 18 September [1861] …
… chapter on the imperfection of the geological record ( see letter to George Maw, 19 July [1861] ). …
… he planned to report ‘at a favourable opportunity’ ( letter from Joseph Leidy, 4 March [1861] ). …
… laboratory where Nature manufactures her new species’ ( letter from H. W. Bates, 28 March [1861] ) …
… study of natural history was evident. He told Darwin in his letter of [1 December] 1861: …
… by insect enemies from which the other set is free’ ( letter from H. W. Bates, 30 September 1861 ) …
… be a ‘very valuable contribution to Nat. History.—’ ( letter to H. W. Bates, 4 April [1861] ). He …
… causes &c’, and ‘Monkeys,—our poor cousins.—’ ( letter to H. W. Bates, 3 December [1861] ). …
… believe a better man never walked this earth’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 [May 1861] ). Henslow …
… am not doing a foolish action in publishing’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 November [1861] ). …
… was thought to be ‘a form of typhus fever’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 11 May 1860 ). This hope was …
… of war. Darwin wrote, almost disbelievingly, to Gray on 11 December: ‘What a thing it is, that when …

Darwin in letters, 1844–1846: Building a scientific network

Summary

The scientific results of the Beagle voyage still dominated Darwin's working life, but he broadened his continuing investigations into the nature and origin of species. Far from being a recluse, Darwin was at the heart of British scientific society,…

Matches: 16 hits

… results of the Beagle voyage still dominated Darwin's working life, but throughout these …
… Down House was altered and extended to accommodate Darwin’s growing family and the many relatives …
… for publication in The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle (1838–43) but were deferred when …
… is like confessing a murder) immutable Darwin’s earlier scientific friendships were not …
… with Charles Lyell, George Robert Waterhouse, John Stevens Henslow, Leonard Horner, Leonard Jenyns, …
… are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [11 January 1844] ). …
… that his close friends were not outraged by Darwin’s heterodox opinions and later in the year both …
… the essay of 1844 to read (see Correspondence vol. 4, letter to J. D. Hooker, 8 [February 1847]) …
… himself: as he told his cousin William Darwin Fox in a letter of [24 April 1845] , he felt he …
… Natural selection Perhaps the most interesting letter relating to Darwin’s species theory, …
… possible editors: at first he proposed any one of Lyell, Henslow, Edward Forbes, William Lonsdale, …
… work. But the list was subsequently altered after Darwin’s second, and possibly third, thoughts on …
… health. Volcanoes, rocks, and fossils Darwin’s published work during this period …
… Darwin not only used his personal notes and records but, by letter , marshalled the resources of …
… by Darwin, even though he had collected plants extensively. Henslow, who had undertaken to describe …
… of the laws of creation, Geographical Distribution’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [10 February 1845] ) …

Books on the Beagle

Summary

The Beagle was a sort of floating library. Find out what Darwin and his shipmates read here.

Matches: 21 hits

… Captain FitzRoy in the Narrative (2: 18). CD, in his letter to Henslow, 9 [September 1831] , …
… would need, even if it meant duplicating some of FitzRoy’s own: ‘You are of course welcome to take …
… . . . There will be plenty of room for Books.’ (Letter from Robert FitzRoy, 23 September 1831 …
… . . . were collected in one cabin, under Mr. Stebbing’s charge, and lent to the officers, without …
… to Keith Thompson (1975), the cabin measured 10 feet by 11 feet. The books in the Poop Cabin …
… However, from the Beagle correspondence, CD’s diary, field notebooks, and the extensive …
… the ‘immense stock’ which CD mentions may be had from a letter FitzRoy wrote to his sister during an …
… are almost always in ink, usually written with CD’s favourite Brahma pens. References to books in …
… examples are references to Bernardin de Saint Pierre’s Paul et Virginie and to characters in …
… to do so. For example, two references to Felix Azara’s works in notes made during 1833 cite …
… on board the Beagle § — mentioned in a letter or other source as being on board …
… Naturelle 3 (1834): 84–115. (DAR 37.1: 677v.; letter to J. S. Henslow, 12 July 1835). * …
… d’histoire naturelle . 17 vols. Paris, 1822–31. (Letter from J. S. Henslow, 15–21 January [1833]). …
… a report of the proceedings . . . Cambridge, 1833. (Letter to Charles Whitley, 23 July 1834). …
… 2d meeting . . . Oxford, 1832 . London, 1833. (Letter to J. S. Henslow, March 1834 and letter …
… d’histoire naturelle. See Bory de Saint-Vincent, J. B. G. M., ed. Dictionnaire des …
… vols. London, 1829. (DAR 37.2: 798; Stoddart 1962, pp. 6, 8, 11 ). Encyclopædia Britannica. …
… § Euclid. Elements of geometry. (Letter to J. S. Henslow, 30 October 1831). ‡ Falkner, …
… 1826. (DAR 36.1: 469v.). Darwin Library–Down. ‡ Henslow, John Stevens. Geological description …
… Hope and the interjacent ports. 2 pts. London, 1809–11 . (DAR 30.1: 2v.). ‡ Humboldt, …
… (Vols. 1 and 2, in one, 3d edition, inscribed from J. S. Henslow to CD ‘on his departure’, September …

Darwin’s reading notebooks

Summary

In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…

Matches: 26 hits

… [A. von Humboldt 1811] Richardson’s Fauna Borealis [J. Richardson 1829–37] …
… 3v.] Hunter has written Quarto work on Physiology 11 besides the paper collected by Owen …
… Paper on consciousness in brutes Blackwood June 1838 [J. F. Ferrie 1838]. H. C. Watson on …
… worth studying in a metaphys. point of view Henslow has list of plants of Mauritius with …
… to White Nat. Hist of Selbourne [E. T. Bennett ed. 1837 and [J. Rennie] ed. 1833] read 19 : …
… what have they written.? “Hunt” [J. Hunt 1806] p. 290 …
… [Reimarius 1760] The Highlands & Western Isl ds letter to Sir W Scott [MacCulloch 1824 …
… chiefly on distribution of forms said to be Poor Sir. J. Edwards Botanical Tour [?J. E. Smith …
… 1831]. Book I. ch. 7 & Book II. Ch. 8. Book. VII. ch 8, 11 . read 1 st . vol of Lamarck. …
… 1834–40]: In Portfolio of “abstracts” 34 —letter from Skuckard of books on Silk Worm …
… [Gaertner 1788–91] (Plates on all seeds) R. Soc Henslow says there is a grand book with …
… Von. J. Metzger. Heidelberg 1841 [Metzger 1841] Read Henslow in Botanist 36 has written on …
… 1834b]. 9. Columbidæ (Pigeons.) [Selby 1835] 11 . Ruminating Animals (Deer, Antelopes, …
… M rs Fry’s Life [Fry 1847] Horace Walpoles letter to C t . of Ossory [Walpole 1848] …
… Asiatic Society ]—contains very little Macleay’s letter to D r Fleming [Macleay 1830] …
… 1834]— d[itt]o d[itt]o d[itt]o. d[itt]o. 15 th Henslow’s Botany [Henslow 1837].— d[itt]o d …
… ] 4. Vol. references at End Feb. 23 rd . Henslow Pamph. on Wheat [Henslow 1841]— fact about …
… Grammont’s Memoirs [Gramont 1714] light & poor Nov 11 . Bamford life of Radicle [Bamford …
… (in relation to Köelreuter) in Revue Horticole No 9–11 89 1853 [Lecoq 1853]. Reviewed in …
… Nat. Hist Zoologist [ Zoologist ] vols. before 11 & 12.— 106 Thumberg Travels …
… [Heer 1854].— Hooker has it.— Very important Hookers letter Jan. 1859 Yules Ava [Yule 1858] …
… years 1838–1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. New York. [Abstract in DAR 71: 51–2.] …
… years 1838–1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. Philadelphia. [Abstract in DAR 205.3: …
… ou, iconographie de toutes les espèces et variétés d’arbres, fruitiers cultivés dans cet …
… sur la distribution géographique des animaux vertébrés, moins les oiseaux. Journal de Physique 94 …
… Drury, Robert. 1729. Madagascar; or, Robert Drury’s journal, during fifteen years …

Cross and self fertilisation

Summary

The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom, published on 10 November 1876, was the result of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells us, in the most emphatic manner, that she abhors…

Matches: 26 hits

… of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells us, in the …
… ( From Fritz Müller, 1 December 1866 ). Darwin’s interest was piqued and he described the case as …
… produced by a cross between two distinct plants’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1867] ). He noted …
… of France where Moggridge lived for part of the year ( To J. T. Moggridge, 1 October [1867] ). …
… to impotence when taken from the same plant!’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 21 May [1868] ) Pollen tubes, or …
… the season it becomes capable of self-fertilisation’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 23 July [1871] ). Darwin …
… with choosing which taxonomic system to follow ( To J. D. Hooker, 17 February 1873 ). Despite also …
… I finish with this & get it published’ ( To Asa Gray, 11 March [1873] ). In April 1873, …
… & I have no idea when it will be published’ ( To J. V. Carus, 8 May [1873] ). Hermann Müller …
… 10 June 1873 ). Darwin, in turn, had found Müller’s book on the fertilisation of flowers of great …
… it has pleased me not a little to find that in the rough M.S. of my last chapter, I have arrived on …
… Delpino ( To Federico Delpino, 25 June [1873] ). Darwin’s suspicion that sweet peas were cross …
… and not on ‘the evil effects of Interbreeding’ ( To J. V. Carus, 2 August [1873] ). In …
… & Trimorphic plants with new & related matter. ( To J. V. Carus, 19 March [1874] ). A year …
… ‘I have to add new researches on this subject. ( To J. V. Carus 7 February 1875 ). In fact, …
… Thomas Meehan had been a vocal opponent of Darwin’s views on crossing, and his paper, ‘Are insects …
… 3 October 1875 ). Hermann Müller had also read Meehan’s work and told Darwin, ‘I am the more glad …
… of plants was disputed for half a century after Kölreuter’s papers’ ( To Hermann Müller, 26 October …
… planned to publish his earlier papers in the same book ( To J. V. Carus, 25 December 1875 ). …
… who provided a statistical table and report on Darwin’s results. Darwin thanked Galton for ‘the …
… with which they grow mingled in a state of nature’ ( To J. H. Gilbert, 16 February 1876 ). Darwin …
… with a recipe for treating soil to remove nutrients ( From J. H. Gilbert, 4 March 1876 ). In June …
… A. R. Wallace, 13 December 1876 ). No reply to this letter has been found, but Darwin had long …
… reviews that appeared were also positive, but George Henslow, in his review in Gardeners’ …
… as he wanted to make corrections for a new edition. On 11 December, Darwin sent corrected sheets to …
… repaged & the index a little altered’ ( To R. F. Cooke, 11 December [1877] ). These changes …

Darwin in letters, 1865: Delays and disappointments

Summary

The year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend and supporter; Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and father of Darwin’s friend…

Matches: 22 hits

… In 1865, the chief work on Charles Darwin’s mind was the writing of The variation of animals and …
… from this, the editing of excerpts from Fritz Müller’s letters on climbing plants to make another …
… to comment on a paper on Verbascum (mullein) by CD’s protégé, John Scott, who was now working in …
… and, according to Butler, the bishop of Wellington. Darwin’s theory was discussed at an agricultural …
… significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend of Darwin’s and prominent supporter of (though not a …
… Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and J. D. Hooker’s father, died in August. There …
… The death of Hugh Falconer Darwin’s first letter to Hooker of 1865 suggests that the family …
… having all the Boys at home: they make the house jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
… had failed to include among the grounds of the award ( see letter from Hugh Falconer to Erasmus …
… his letters to Darwin, and Darwin responded warmly: ‘Your letter is by far the grandest eulogium …
… may well rest content that I have not laboured in vain’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 6 January [1865] …
… always a most kind friend to me. So the world goes.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 February [1865] …
… for our griefs & pains: these alone are unalloyed’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 3 February 1865 …
… gas.— Sic transit gloria mundi, with a vengeance’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 9 February [1865] ). …
… added, ‘I know it is folly & nonsense to try anyone’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
… and Darwin had given it up by early July ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, [10 July 1865] ). In …
… ‘able to write about an hour on most days’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 22 December [1865] ). …
… willing to bear the expense of the woodcuts ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] ). After …
… loathe the whole subject like tartar emetic’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 January [1865] ). …
… crossing experiments in 1863 (see Correspondence vol. 11, letter from John Scott, 21 September …
… interest in Darwin’s theory ( Correspondence vol. 11, letter from J. D. Hooker, 10 June 1863 ) …
… The last two months of the year also saw letters from George Henslow, the son of Darwin’s mentor at …

Darwin's health

Summary

On 28 March 1849, ten years before Origin was published, Darwin wrote to his good friend Joseph Hooker from Great Malvern in Worcestershire, where Dr James Manby Gully ran a fashionable water-cure establishment. Darwin apologised for his delayed reply to…

Matches: 19 hits

… Darwin apologised for his delayed reply to Hooker’s letter which he put down to his exceptionally …
… I was rapidly going the way of all flesh. See the letter At various periods in his …
… trembling, faintness, and dizziness. In 1849, Darwin’s symptoms became so severe that he removed his …
… certain that the Water Cure is no quackery.— See the letter After returning from …
… in the years around 1848, 1852, 1859, and 1863. In a letter to Hooker in April of 1861, for example, …
… of his critically ill ‘master & friend’ John Stevens Henslow. Darwin was sure the journey from …
… as my retching is apt to be extremely loud.— See the letter Besides experimenting …
… 1864, Darwin attributed his improved health to Dr Jenner’s advice: ‘ drinking very little—enormous …
… the vomiting wonderfully & I am gaining vigour .’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 April [1864] ) …
… were psychological or psychosomatic dimensions to Darwin’s most severe periods of crisis. At the …
… these grounds (see, for example, Correspondence vol. 2, letter to J. S. Henslow, 14 October …
… 1849] , and ‘vomiting every week’ in his letter to J. D. Hooker, 28 March 1849 ( …
… decision to consult John Chapman. In a letter to J. D. Hooker, [20-] 22 February [1864] ( …
… 1995, pp. 428-9. On his difficulties reading, see letters to J. D. Hooker, 1 June [1865] and …
… discussed in Colp 1977, pp. 31-2, 47, 98. In his letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 March [1863] ( …
… also Correspondence vol. 12, letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1864] . …
… for several years (see Correspondence vol. 4, letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 October 1849 , and …
… in September and October 1863 (see Correspondence vol. 11 , letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, …
… his chronic vomiting ( Correspondence vol. 12, letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 April [1864] ). …

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