What prompted Darwin to publish his book decades after he began writing it?
A) He had completed the last of his experiments.
B) He had returned from his voyage around the world.
C) A colleague (Alfred Wallace) was about to publish a similar manuscript.
D) After years of searching, he finally found a publisher willing to accept it.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Darwin had been working on his manuscript for decades and had even shared his ideas with colleagues, but he had never fully finished or published his work. In 1858, however, he received a manuscript from Alfred Wallace that contained strikingly similar ideas to his own. This prompted Darwin to quickly finalize his work and publish it in 1859, fearing that Wallace would beat him to publication.

What Prompted Darwin to Publish His Book Decades After He