4. Darwin was surprised that his work became popular with the general public
Charles Darwin had intended his work to be for the consumption of scientists, and expressed surprise that it became a popular book with a wide audience, particularly in America. After learning from Gray of its American reception, Darwin wrote to the botanist, “I never dreamed of my Book being so successful with general readers: I believe I should have laughed at the idea of sending the sheets to America”. He asked Gray to keep the share of the profits the latter had negotiated with the American publisher. The book’s popularity in Great Britain was likewise a surprise, as was the reaction of the religious community there.
Great Britain at the time did not have as large of a community of fundamentalists as the United States, and the religious debate in Europe took on a different tone than on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. In Great Britain, the argument was centered on separating scientific education from the Anglican Church. Thomas Huxley, a leading proponent of such a reform, created a new word for those who expounded science by suspending religious belief; agnosticism. To Huxley, agnosticism meant one should, “follow your reason as far as it will take you, without regard for any other consideration”.