Charles Darwin: Groundbreaking Naturalist and Evolutionary Theorist
5 CHAPTER ONE Charles Darwin became known as a famous scientist later in life On February 12 1809 Charles Darwin was born in Shropshire England near the Welsh border His mother was often ill She died when Charles was only eight years old Young Charles was then raised by his father and three older sisters Charles’s family members were freethinkers and he was too They believed reason logic and science were more important than tradition A SCIENTIST IS BORN
Charles Darwin studied the world and all living things from an early age or religion Charles was surrounded and influenced by people who questioned and explored the world around them He became one of the world’s most accomplished naturalists someone who studies animals and plants in their natural environment 6
Education in Darwin’s Day For much of the 1800s upper-class English children mainly studied Latin and Greek They rarely learned other topics Over time schools began teaching mathematics science history geography and literature England’s Grammar School Act of 1840 made sure literature and science as well as Latin and Greek were taught in every school 7 From his earliest years Charles loved being outdoors He enjoyed collecting items from nature He brought home shells insects plants and rocks Then he tried to identify them He watched birds and even collected bird eggs He was careful to never take more than one egg from a nest Young Charles also enjoyed swimming hunting and fishing School Days As a child Charles disliked school He felt teachers taught the same topics over and over again He also wanted more time to discover things on his own In the early 1800s schools focused on teaching Latin and Greek Charles was not good at learning languages
