: His infant son, Charles Waring Darwin , died of scarlet fever during the very week he was grappling with Wallace's manuscript.
"Darwin's Darkest Hour" refers to a critical period in 1858 when Charles Darwin faced a profound personal and professional crisis that nearly derailed his life's work. The Core Crisis: The Wallace Letter Darwin's Darkest Hour
: Darwin feared his theory would devastate his wife, Emma, a devout Christian who believed his ideas might separate them in the afterlife. The Resolution : His infant son, Charles Waring Darwin ,
: His children were battling scarlet fever and diphtheria. The Resolution : His children were battling scarlet
In June 1858, Darwin received a letter and manuscript from , a young naturalist working in Indonesia. To Darwin’s shock, Wallace had independently developed a theory of natural selection nearly identical to his own. After 20 years of secretive research, Darwin realized he was in danger of being "scooped" and losing credit for his discovery. Personal Tragedy
This professional threat hit Darwin during a time of intense family suffering: