The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

1887 autobiography by Charles Darwin

The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin

Cover of the original edition of 1887.

Author| Charles Darwin, edited by Francis Darwin
Language| English
Publisher| John Murray, London

Publication date

| 1887
Publication place| England

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin is an autobiography by the English naturalist Charles Darwin.

Darwin wrote the text, which he entitled Recollections of the Development of my Mind and Character, for his family. He states that he started writing it on about May 28, 1876 and had finished it by August 3.

The text was published in 1887 (five years after Darwin's death) by John Murray as part of The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. The text printed in Life and Letters was edited by Darwin's son Francis Darwin, who removed several passages about Darwin's critical views of God and Christianity.[1]

The omitted passages were later restored by Darwin's granddaughter Nora Barlow in a 1958 edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species.[2] This edition was published in London by Collins under the title of The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809-1882. With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his granddaughter Nora Barlow.

## References

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1. ^ Darwin 1958, pp. 11–14.
2. ^ Darwin 1958, pp. 84–96.

## Bibliography

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* Darwin Online: Life and Letters and Autobiography
* Darwin, C.R. (ed by Barlow, N); The Autobiography of Charles Darwin. ISBN 0-393-31069-8 (1993 paperback edition)
* Darwin, Charles (1887), Darwin, Francis (ed.), The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter, London: John Murray, ISBN 0-404-08417-6, retrieved 2008-11-04
* Darwin, Charles (1958), Barlow, Nora (ed.), The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809–1882. With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his granddaughter Nora Barlow, London: Collins, retrieved November 5, 2019
* Darwin, Charles (2006), "Journal", in van Wyhe, John (ed.), [Darwin's personal 'Journal' (1809-1881)], Darwin Online, CUL-DAR158.1-76, retrieved 2008-12-20

## External links

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* Barlow, Nora ed. 1958. The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809-1882. at darwin-online.org.uk
*   * The Autobiography of Charles Darwin at Project Gutenberg
* The Autobiography of Charles Darwin public domain audiobook at LibriVox
* A review by evolutionary biologist R.A. Fisher

* v
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Charles Darwin

Life|

* Darwin–Wedgwood family
* Erasmus Darwin
* Josiah Wedgwood
* Education
* Voyage on HMS Beagle
* Inception of theory
* Development of theory
* Publication of theory
* Reactions to On the Origin of Species
* Orchids to Variation
* Descent of Man to Emotions
* Insectivorous Plants to Worms
* Religious views
* Health
* Women
* Portraits of Darwin (caricatures)

Writings|

* Extracts from Letters to Henslow (1835)
* The Voyage of the Beagle (1839)
* The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs (1842)
* Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle (1838–1843)
* Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands (1844)
* Geological Observations on South America (1846)
* "On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties" (1858)
* On the Origin of Species (1859)
* Fertilisation of Orchids (1862)
* The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication (1868)
* Natural Selection
* The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871)
* The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)
* Insectivorous Plants (1875)
* On the Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants (1875)
* The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom (1876)
* The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species (1877)
* The Power of Movement in Plants (1880)
* The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms (1881)
* The Autobiography of Charles Darwin (1887)
* Correspondence
* The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, 1887
* More Letters of Charles Darwin, 1903
* List of described taxa

Related|

* Eugenics
* Dysgenics
* Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation
* The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection (1930)
* History of evolutionary thought
* Pangenesis
* Darwin Industry
* Commemoration
* things named for Darwin
* Darwinism
* Neural
* Quantum
* Social
* Universal
* Alternatives to
* Eclipse of
* HMS Beagle
* Darwin Medal
* Darwin Awards
* Huxley family

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