On the Origin of Species

Darwin’s book documenting his theory of evolution by natural selection was first published in London in November 1859. Contradicting established religious concepts about the creation and permanence of species, it was wildly controversial and quickly sold out edition after edition. Within a year, publisher Appleton & Co. in New York had brought out not just the first American editions of the original text but also this new one “revised and augmented by the author.” This copy of the revised edition was donated by Darwin scholar Dr. Sandra Herbert, who has published extensively on the history of science in the 18^th and 19^th centuries and specifically on Darwin’s impact on our understanding of the natural world.