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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: 19 hits

… On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July …
… 52 hours without vomiting!! In the same month, Darwin began to consult William Jenner, …
… prescribed a variety of antacids and purgatives, and limited Darwin’s fluid intake; this treatment …
… the dimorphic aquatic cut-grass Leersia . In May, Darwin finished his paper on Lythrum …
… he had set aside the previous summer. In October, Darwin let his friends know that on his …
… letters of advice from Jenner. In a letter of 15 December [1864 ] to the surgeon and naturalist …
… 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 …
… five years earlier. His primary botanical preoccupation in 1864 was climbing plants. He had become …
… ( Correspondence vol. 11). In a letter of [27 January 1864 ] , Darwin wrote to Hooker: ‘The …
… produce tendrils’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [8 February 1864 ] ). Darwin’s excitement about his …
… & therefore sacred’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 June [1864 ] ). When Darwin asked Oliver …
… light of axioms’ ( letter from Daniel Oliver, [17 March 1864 ] ). Though Darwin replied with his …
… . . .’ When he told Asa Gray in a letter of 29 October [1864 ] that he was continuing to study …
… addition to his work on climbing plants, Darwin engaged in 1864 in botanical observations and …
… were produced. Continuing from these earlier studies, in 1864 he conducted crossing experiments …
… Menyanthes ( letter from Emma and Charles Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [20 May 1864 ] ), or his …
… circulating with the 1864 subscription fund ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 1 February [1864 ] ). …
… … & too light to turn into candlesticks’ ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 1 December 1864 ). …

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: 22 hits

… On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
… he ought to do what I am doing pester them with letters.’ Darwin was certainly true to his word. The …
… and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
… the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864 , Darwin claimed that sexual …
… (Correspondence vol. 12, letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864 ] ). Darwin’s theory of …
… 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 …
… 1867 and had expected to complete it in a fortnight. But at Darwin’s request, he modified his …
… the text. This increased the amount of work substantially. Darwin asked Murray to intervene, …
… … though it would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from …
… to remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). Darwin …
… as stone, if it were not quite mollified by your note’. Darwin enclosed a cheque to Dallas for £55 …
… and descent in the Fortnightly Review , and asked Darwin for comments. Darwin was clearly …
… ‘fast passing away’ that sparked the most discussion. Darwin wrote to Hooker on 23 February , …
… well as of ‘victorious males getting wives’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 25 February [1868] ). …
… pigeon magenta. To Weir, he wrote on 27 February : ‘It w d be a fine trial to cut off the eyes …
… and had himself watched elephants cry (letters to W. E. Darwin, [15 March 1868] and 8 April …
… screaming in patients undergoing vaccination ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 April 1868] ). Francis …
… veins, and the action of his platysma muscle ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [15 April 1868] ). The …
… of everlasting woe?’ I am not sure whether it w d not be wisest for scientific men …

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 …
… community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women …
… 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 …
… garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864 ] Darwin’s …
… 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October 1869] Darwin’s …
… 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 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864 ] Darwin thanks Hooker for …
… New Zealand. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …
… on the wallpaper. Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9 …
… Himalaya and Tibet. Letter 4139 - Darwin, W. E. to Darwin, [4 May 1863] …
… - Wright, Charles to Gray, A., [20, 25, 26 March & 1 April 1864 ] Charles Wright tells …
… detail. Family letter: Darwin, E. to Darwin, W. E., [January 23rd 1887]: Emma …
… of his garden. Letter 4233 - Tegetmeier, W. B. to Darwin, [29 June - 7 July 1863] …
… and edited by “a lady”. Darwin, E. to Darwin, W. E. , (March, 1862 - DAR 219.1:49) …
… over. Letter 8153 - Darwin to Darwin, W. E., [9 January 1872] Darwin …

Diagrams and drawings in letters

Summary

Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have been added to the online transcripts of the letters. The contents include maps, diagrams, drawings, sketches and photographs, covering geological, botanical,…

Matches: 2 hits

… Forbes's "Atlantis" theory, [25 February 1846] E. A. Darwin's …
… containing bud samples, 12 May 1878 G. H. Darwin's drawings of Thalia dealbata …

Natural Science and Femininity

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters A conflation of masculine intellect and feminine thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity. Working from the private domestic comfort of their homes and exercising…

Matches: 14 hits

… thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity …
… feminine powers of feeling and aesthetic appreciation, Darwin and his male colleagues struggled to …
… Letters Letter 109 - Wedgwood, J. to Darwin, R. W., [31 August 1831] Darwin …
… professional work on his return. Letter 158 - Darwin to Darwin, R. W., [8 & 26 …
… and taking in the aesthetic beauty of the world around him. Darwin describes the “striking” colour …
… and walks into town with Emma. Letter 555 - Darwin to FitzRoy, R., [20 February 1840] …
… an Infant ’. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May 1860] Doubleday …
… borders of his garden. Letter 2864 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [12 July 1860] …
… saw anything so beautiful”. Letter 4230 - Darwin to Gardeners’ Chronicle, [2 July 1863] …
… brought into the house immediately after a rain storm. Here, Darwin’s scientific investigation is …
… Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864 ] Darwin thanks Hooker for …
… Letter 4469 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [20 April 1864 ] Hooker discusses the scientific …
… Letter 4472 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [26 or 27 April 1864 ] Hooker once again discusses …
… conducted in his home. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …

'An Appeal' against animal cruelty

Summary

The four-page pamphlet transcribed below and entitled 'An Appeal', was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [29 September 1863]). The pamphlet, which protested against the cruelty of steel vermin…

Matches: 10 hits

… for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Annual Report, 1864, p. 32; Animal World , 1 February …
… many persons Squires Ladies & MPs' (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [6–27 …
… the campaign than she expected (see the letter from Emma Darwin to William Erasmus Darwin, [2 …
… distributing the 'cruelty pamphlet', and letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, 8 December …
… with the RSPCA; however, the RSPCA Annual Report for 1864 records that 'a benevolent lady, …
… the Royal Horticultural Gardens, South Kensington, in June 1864 ( The Times , 27 May 1864, p. 11, …
… paper Animal World , and prominently linked Charles Darwin"s name to the offer of a prize …
… were 'awakening to its barbarity' (RSPCA Annual Report 1864, p. 32), the use of the steel …
… payments being recorded from 1854 to 1861, in 1863 and 1864, from 1871 to 1875, and in 1878 and 1880 …
… not been identified; however, see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, 8 December [1863]. Only two …

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: 17 hits

… activities for building and maintaining such connections. Darwin's networks extended from his …
… when strong institutional structures were largely absent. Darwin had a small circle of scientific …
… section contains two sets of letters. The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. …
… about Hooker’s thoughts. Letter 729 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., [11 Jan 1844] …
… is like confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 23 Feb [1844 …
… of wide-ranging species to wide-ranging genera. Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 …
… of the species. Letter 1685 — Gray, Asa to Darwin, C. R., 22 May 1855 Gray …
… of alpine flora in the USA. Letter 2125 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 20 July [1857] …
… have in simple truth been of the utmost value to me.” Darwin believes species have arisen, like …
… forms of address and acknowledgement. Darwin and W. B. Tegetmeier Letter 1751 — …
… Letter 4463 — Scott, John to Darwin, C. R., 14 Apr [1864 ] Scott thanks Darwin for his …
… Letter 4468 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 19 [Apr 1864 ] Darwin makes another plea to his …
… Letter 4469 — Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 20 Apr 1864 Hooker again refuses to help Scott, …
… Letter 4471 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 25 Apr [1864 ] Darwin thinks his friend Kew …
… Letter 4611 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 13 Sept [1864 ] Darwin sends abstract of John Scott …
… . Letter 4260a — Darwin, C. R. to Becker, L. E., 2 Aug [1863] Darwin thanks Lydia …
… Letter 4441 — Becker, Lydia to Darwin, C. R., 30 Mar 1864 Becker sends Darwin a copy of her …

Science: A Man’s World?

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth-century women participated in the world of science, be it as experimenters, observers, editors, critics, producers, or consumers. Despite this, much of the…

Matches: 11 hits

… Discussion Questions | Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth …
… Letters Darwin’s Notes On Marriage [April - July 1838] In these notes, …
… of family, home and sociability. Letter 489 - Darwin to Wedgwood, E., [20 January 1839] …
… theories, & accumulating facts in silence & solitude”. Darwin also comments that he has …
… by”. Letter 3715 - Claparède, J. L. R. A. E. to Darwin, [6 September 1862] …
… are not those of her sex”. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 March 1863] …
… “first rate critic”. Letter 4377 - Haeckel, E. P. A. to Darwin, [2 January 1864 ] …
… of feminine works”. Letter 4441 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [30 March 1864 ] …
… masculine nor pedantic”. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. B., [8 November 1869] …
… read the pamphlet herself. Letter 8335 - Reade, W. W. to Darwin, [16 May 1872] …
… to women. Letter 10746 – Darwin to Dicey, E. M., [1877] Darwin gives his …

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

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

Darwin's notes for his physician, 1865

Summary

On 20 May 1865, Emma Darwin recorded in her diary that John Chapman, a prominent London publisher who had studied medicine in London and Paris in the early 1840s, visited Down to consult with Darwin about his ill health. In 1863 Chapman started to treat…

Matches: 11 hits

… On 20 May 1865, Emma Darwin recorded in her diary that John Chapman, a prominent London publisher …
… and Paris in the early 1840s, visited Down to consult with Darwin about his ill health. In 1863 …
… Chapman wasn’t the first medical practitioner Darwin contacted around this time. In 1863, Darwin …
… more attacks of vomiting and seeking another opinion, Darwin wrote to Chapman. On the day that …
… life (the section, ‘I feel nearly … food’, is in Emma Darwin’s hand). Darwin began the ice …
… given up the treatment (see letter from Charles and Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, [10 July 1865]). …
… Busk, 28 April 1865). In November and December 1863, Darwin had consulted the stomach …
… solutions to aid digestion ( Correspondence vol. 11, Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, 8 December [1863]) …
… Correspondence vol. 12, letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 April [1864 ], letter from William Jenner to …
… reading, brings on these Head symptoms ?? nervousness when E. leaves me. (What I vomit …
… Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, Darwin Evolution Collection (3314) and is …

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: 23 hits

… In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous …
… for scientific colleagues or their widows facing hardship. Darwin had suffered from poor health …
… of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater public recognition …
… 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 …
… for some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. Darwin’s interest in root response and the …
… 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 …
… experiments had been conducted to lend support to Darwin’s theory of pangenesis (see …
… He was eager to write up the results on Brazilian cane, with Darwin providing a detailed outline: ‘I …
… at the Linnean Society on 4 May, but not published. Darwin carried on with botanical work in …
… which are asymmetric, thus facilitating cross-fertilisation. Darwin’s aim, he said, was just to …
… 3 April 1882 ). Earthworms and evolution Darwin’s last book, Earthworms , had been …
… and 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 …
… 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)). …
… 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 …
… pains)… would be very interesting to me’ ( letter to E. W. V. Harcourt, 24 June [1856] ). In a …
… able to work’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [ c . 10 April 1864 ] ). To the physician Henry Holland, …
… History every day’ ( letter to Henry Holland, 6 November [1864 ] ). Writing to the clergyman and …

Was Darwin an ecologist?

Summary

One of the most fascinating aspects of Charles Darwin’s correspondence is the extent to which the experiments he performed at his home in Down, in the English county of Kent, seem to prefigure modern scientific work in ecology.

Matches: 22 hits

… The case is a sore puzzle to me.— Charles Darwin to J. D. Hooker, 10 December [1866] . …
… or regurgitated by birds with non-muscular gizzards (e.g. toucans) would have lower germination …
… One of the most fascinating aspects of Charles Darwin’s correspondence is the extent to which the …
… work in ecology. Despite the difference in language between Darwin’s letter and the modern …
… in seeds that have no nutritive value. Other subjects that Darwin worked on at Down also have …
… the mix of species in a plot of grass; pollination. Was Darwin, then, an early ecologist? The …
… was becoming well enough established in universities that Darwin’s ‘held together with a piece of …
… laboratory institute in Würzburg, criticised Darwin’s experiments on movement in root radicles as …
… As a gentleman amateur, observing his surroundings, Darwin seems to fit easily into an earlier …
… between organisms over time – were highly innovative. Darwin’s own experiments challenged the old, …
… clearly did not mark an epoch in the history of science; Darwin and some of his correspondents …
… ‘The number of new words … is something dreadful’, Darwin wrote to T. H. Huxley on 22 December …
… The word first appeared in English in E. Ray Lankester’s translation of Haeckel’s History of …
… world only from the late nineteenth century onwards. Darwin himself never used the word, either in …
… the study of all those complex interrelations referred to by Darwin as the conditions of the …
… So, we should be careful not to make the same mistake with Darwin. When we try to understand the …
… there’s also a horizontal dimension, the question of what Darwin himself thought he was doing. …
… realising it, and what areas are still contested? Darwin’s intellectual context Darwin …
… evolution of species’, Haeckel wrote to Darwin on 9 July 1864 . ‘In your book I found all at once …
… is by contrast extremely modest. In a letter written in 1864 and enigmatically dated ‘Aug. Oct 8th.’ …
… Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte . Translation revised by E. Ray Lankester. 2 vols. London: Henry S. …
… Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rothschild, L. W., and Jordan, K. 1903. A revision of …

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: 12 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 …
… much as possible. A number of correspondents tried to draw Darwin out on his own religious views, …
… 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, …
… second is a single letter from naturalist A. R. Wallace to Darwin on design and natural selection. …
… 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 …
… of Argyll’s address to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1864), Darwin used birds, flowers and …
… of Argyll’s address [to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1864)] on beauty and sexual selection. He …
… Letter 1536 — Darwin, C. R. to Lubbock, J. W. (b), 11 Oct [1853] Darwin gives his opinion to …

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: 21 hits

… The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now …
… and also a meeting with Herbert Spencer, who was visiting Darwin’s neighbour, Sir John Lubbock. In …
… 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 …
… alleged evidence of a global ice age, while Asa Gray pressed Darwin’s American publisher for a …
… for the Advancement of Science. Fuller consideration of Darwin’s work was given by Hooker in an …
… frustrations were punctuated by family bereavement. Two of Darwin’s sisters died, Emily Catherine …
… me any harm—any how I can’t be idle’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 24 August [1866] ). Towards …
… of which Tegetmeier had agreed to supervise ( letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 16 January [1866] ). …
… dimorphism and trimorphism, published between 1861 and 1864 , which raised questions about hybrid …
… after the startling apparition of your face at R.S. Soirèe—which I dreamed of 2 nights running. …
… on those terms so you are in for it’ ( letter from H. E. Darwin, [ c . 10 May 1866] ). …
… there are over 200 medallions of Papa made by a man from W ms photo in circulation amongst the …
… 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 …
… species was ‘merely ordinaryly diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 May – 11 June 1866] ). On …
… is a case of dimorphic becoming diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 20 June [1866] ). …
… I am well accustomed to such explosions’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 22 June [1866] ). He urged …
… natural selection, and with special creation ( letter from W. R. Grove, 31 August 1866 ). Hooker …
… an expression first used by Herbert Spencer in an 1864 instalment of Principles of biology . ( …
… indeed at poor Susan’s loneliness’ ( letter from E. C. Langton to Emma and Charles Darwin, [6 and 7 …

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: 24 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 …
… regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm was not to …
… four days later. ‘I cannot bear to think of the future’, Darwin confessed to William on 11 …
… once, the labour of checking proofs proved a blessing, as Darwin sought solace for the loss of his …
… and his baby son Bernard now part of the household, and Darwin recasting his work on dimorphic and …
… had involved much time and effort the previous year, and Darwin clearly wanted to focus his …
… When Smith, Elder and Company proposed reissuing two of Darwin’s three volumes of the geology of …
… single-volume edition titled Geological observations , Darwin resisted making any revisions at …
… volume, Coral reefs , already in its second edition. Darwin was nevertheless ‘firmly resolved not …
… meticulous correction of errors in the German editions made Darwin less anxious about correcting the …
… to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. ) Darwin focused instead on the second …
… concentrated on the ‘means of crossing’, was seen by Darwin as the companion to Cross and self …
… return to old work than part of the future work outlined by Darwin in his ‘little Autobiography’ ( …
… holiday after finishing Cross and self fertilisation , Darwin took up the suggestion made by a …
… for his family only. Writing for an hour every afternoon, Darwin finished his account on 3 August …
… been cast by the ‘poorest curs in London’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [4 February 1876] ). …
… of illness & misery there is in the world’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 26 May [1876] ). A …
… 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 …
… from different forms of dimorphic and trimorphic plants in 1864 showed that hybrid sterility in …

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: 27 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 …
… several years earlier as part of a missionary enterprise. Darwin was struck by the progress that had …
… been returned to their native land. After the voyage, Darwin began to question the …
… 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 …
… 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] …
… human descent. Letter 4933 : Farrar, F. W. to Darwin, 6 November 1865 …
… this a very strong argument for the Polygenist?" Darwin asked the English settler …
… of replies from the South African native, Christian Gaika. Darwin was impressed by Gaika's …
… of civilization of the natives. Letter 5617 , Darwin to Weale, J. P. M., 27 August …
… civilization" Letter 5722 , Weale, J. P. M. to Darwin, [10 December 1867] …
… Just prior to the publication of Origin of Species , Darwin discussed his views on progress in a …
… structure. This remained a point of dispute between many of Darwin’s scientific supporters, …
… Alpheus Hyatt. In the last edition of Origin (1872), Darwin tried to clarify his position: &quot …
… ( Origin , 6 th ed, p. 98). Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C., 11 October …
… which I have briefly discussed in the Origin." Darwin discussed the role of …
… the philosopher William Graham. Letter 2503 : Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, C., 11 October …
… races being exterminated." Letter 3439 : Darwin to Kingsley, Charles, 6 February …
… a unit, will have risen in rank." Letter 4510 : Darwin to Wallace, A. R., 28 [May …
… Primary Charles Darwin, Notebooks, B 18-29; E 95-7 [ available at Darwinonline ] …
… at archive.org ] Carl Vogt, Lectures on Man (1864 ) [ available at archive.org ] …
… theory of natural selection", Anthropological Review 2 (1864 ): clviii-clxx [ available at …

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: 27 hits

… At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
… markedly, reflecting a decline in his already weak health. Darwin then began punctuating letters …
… am languid & bedeviled … & hate everybody’. Although Darwin did continue his botanical …
… letter-writing dwindled considerably. The correspondence and Darwin’s scientific work diminished …
… of the water-cure. The treatment was not effective and Darwin remained ill for the rest of the year. …
… the correspondence from the year. These letters illustrate Darwin’s preoccupation with the …
… to man’s place in nature both had a direct bearing on Darwin’s species theory and on the problem …
… 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. …
… ‘groan’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). Darwin reiterated in a later letter that it …
… of creation, and the origin of species particularly, worried Darwin; he told Hooker that he had once …
… letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] ). Darwin did not relish telling Lyell of his …
… ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). Nevertheless, Darwin’s regret was profound that the …
… the ‘brutes’, but added that he would bring many towards Darwin who would have rebelled against …
… from Charles Lyell, 11 March 1863 ). The botanist Asa Gray, Darwin’s friend in the United States, …
… off ( see letter from Asa Gray, 20 April 1863 ). In May, Darwin responded to Gray that Lyell’s and …
… or Modification, ’. Faction fighting Darwin was not alone in feeling disaffected …
… in the subject. ‘The worst of it is’, Hooker wrote to Darwin, ‘I suppose it is virtually Huxley’s …
… seen how indignant all Owen’s lies and mean conduct about E. Columbi made me… . The case is come to …
… this subject seems to get rarer & rarer’ ( letter to H. W. Bates, 18 April [1863] ), …
… for the Natural History Review ( see letter to H. W. Bates, 12 January [1863] ). Darwin added …
… Copley Medal had been unsuccessful ( see letter from E. A. Darwin to Emma Darwin, 11 November [1863 …
… to the Linnean Society in a paper that was read in February 1864 . He had already promised Scott that …
… on the bookcase and around the head of the sofa ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [25 July 1863], and …
… was hidden by overgrown trees and shrubs ( see letter from W. D. Fox, 7 September [1863] ). Emma …

Discussion Questions and Essay Questions

Summary

There are a wide range of possibilities for opening discussion and essay writing on Darwin’s correspondence. We have provided a set of sample discussion questions and essay questions, each of which focuses on a particular topic or correspondent in depth.…

Matches: 10 hits

… of possibilities for opening discussion and essay writing on Darwin’s correspondence. We have …
… start researching and writing an essay that centres on Darwin’s letters, narrowing the field to a …
… Why was correspondence so important for Darwin? How did Darwin encourage people he did not …
… material did letters contain? How much knowledge does Darwin assume when he writes to …
… and class, matter in scientific exchange? What does Darwin do when he wants to introduce a …
… internet today? Essay writing How was Darwin’s early species theory discussed …
… What ethical implications did readers draw from Darwin’s theories?[Mary Boole (1864 ), F. E. Abbot …
… on inheritance theory (pangenesis) (1870-1)] How did Darwin involve his family in his research …
… natural world conducted? [F. J. Wedgwood, Asa Gray, J. F. W. Herschel, Charles Lyell (c. 1860--1)] …
… 1868, W. Reade, 1870-1) As a product of natural selection, e.g. coloured seeds and fruit (Fritz …

Darwin in letters, 1862: A multiplicity of experiments

Summary

1862 was a particularly productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his published output (two botanical papers and a book on the pollination mechanisms of orchids), but more particularly in the extent and breadth of the botanical experiments…

Matches: 24 hits

… indicates, 1862 was a particularly productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his …
… promotion of his theory of natural selection also continued: Darwin’s own works expanded on it, …
… a keen interest in the progress of his views through Europe, Darwin negotiated, in addition to a …
… the family over the summer. But towards the end of the year, Darwin was able once more to turn his …
… of the Scottish press hissed). Huxley, while advocating Darwin’s theory, had again espoused the view …
… experimental production of new ‘physiological’ species. Darwin attempted to dissuade him from this …
… delivered a series of lectures to working men that reviewed Darwin’s theory, and sent copies to …
… about the vars. of Tobacco.' At the end of the year, Darwin seemed resigned to their …
… common man This correspondence with Huxley made Darwin keener than ever to repeat the …
… began writing long, intelligent, and informative letters, Darwin, impressed, gave him the commission …
… ). Two sexual forms: Primula and Linum Darwin’s views on the phenomenon of …
… when crossed with another plant of the reciprocal form. Darwin concluded that the two forms existed …
… J. D. Hooker, 6 October [1862] ). However, it was not until 1864 that the Linnean Society heard …
… his son, William, his language was more blunt ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 February [1862] ): …
… ‘good dashes of original reflexions’ ( letter to H. W. Bates, 13 January [1862] ). He warmly …
… & admirable papers I ever read in my life’ ( letter to H. W. Bates, 20 November [1862] ). He …
… French Translation will appear very soon’ ( letter to C. E. Brown-Séquard, 2 January [1862] ). …
… Bronn died suddenly from a heart attack ( see letter from E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung …
… and Emma ‘perplexed to death what to do’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, [2–3 August 1862] ). They …
… analogous to the nervous matter of animals’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 20 [September 1862] ; letter …
… have never passed so miserable a nine months’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 12 September [1862] ). …
… work would make his life ‘much happier’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 February [1862] ). Darwin …
… with him, enthusiastically set to work ( see letter to W. E. Darwin, [2–3 August 1862] , and …
… insects with Darwin’s hypothesis ( see letter from H. W. Bates, 30 April 1862 ), Darwin was …

	CCD intro	(7)
	Copley medal	(1)
	humans	(1)
	Asa Gray	(1)
	emotion	(2)
	Featured	(3)
	natural selection	(2)
	Primula	(1)
	Sexual selection	(1)
	Variation	(2)
	Historical documents	(3)
	About Darwin	(1)
	Darwin's health	(1)
	ecology	(1)
	experiments	(1)
	Life sciences	(2)
	distribution	(1)
	Germany	(1)
	glacier	(1)
	illness	(1)
	Origin	(2)
	Survival of the fittest	(1)
	Human nature	(1)
	botany	(2)
	hothouse	(1)
	Orchids	(1)
	Descent	(1)
	heredity	(1)
	human evolution	(1)
	ice ages	(1)
	Nägeli	(1)

Darwin Correspondence Project

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