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The Beginning
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire to a family of seven. His grandparents had been important in the Enlightenment with ideas in anti-slavery and genetics. Some would say he was born into a family that allowed for his later-open minded thinking. -
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Charles Darwin'
Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution- -
A Shift in Focus
Darwin gives up his initial idea of being a doctor to become a clergyman. With this shift in his career focus, He has the time to follow his passion of biology. -
The Galapagos
Darwin travelled around the world, landing in the the Galapagos Islands. Here, he studied the animals and their way of life, most notably the finches. While his realization of evolution and natural selection began here, it was the collection and continuous study of these animals that produced his theories.https://youtu.be/dfsUz2O2jww -
A First Draft
Darwin takes what he has learned from his studies to make a first draft about the idea of natural selection, but he had a fear of being exiled as his grandfather was previously. He instead wrote about his travels and continued to study. -
"On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection"
After great loss, illnesses, and working closely with Wallace, Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection." This book shook people greatly but opened up many people to the idea of evolution, which had been unheard of before. -
Natural Selection Before it Ran its Course with Darwin
At this point, Darwin published "The Descent of Man," where he questioned Christian orthodoxy. Despite this he had collected a large following of "Darwinists." He also introduced the idea of "survival of the fittest" in years past. He passed away a decade after this with much to show for it.