Henry Morton Stanley

Sir Henry Morton Stanley (orginal name John Rowlands and also known as Bula Matari (Breaker of Rocks) in Congo) (January 29,1841 – May 10,1904) was a 19th-century, Welsh-born American journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone.

Related Topics:
Congo - January 29 - 1841 - May 10 - 1904 - 19th-century - Welsh - America - Journalist - Explorer - Africa - David Livingstone

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He was born John Rowlands January 29, in Denbigh, Wales. His parents were unmarried, and he was brought up in a workhouse. He later worked his passage to the United States on a ship, and upon arriving in New Orleans, he became friendly with a wealthy trader named Stanley, whose name he assumed.

Related Topics:
January 29 - Denbigh - Wales - Workhouse - United States - New Orleans

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After military service with both sides in the American Civil War, Stanley became a journalist, arriving on the staff of the New York Herald in 1867. He became one of their overseas correspondents, and in 1869 was instructed to find the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, who was known to be in Africa but had not been heard of for some time. According to Stanley's no doubt romanticised account, he asked James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the paper's owner, how much he could spend. The reply was "Draw £1,000 now, and when you have gone through that, draw another £1,000, and when that is spent, draw another £1,000, and when you have finished that, draw another £1,000, and so on — BUT FIND LIVINGSTONE!"

Related Topics:
American Civil War - New York Herald - 1867 - 1869 - Scot - David Livingstone - Africa - James Gordon Bennett, Jr.

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Stanley travelled to Zanzibar and outfitted an expedition with the best of everything, requiring no less than 2,000 porters. He located Livingstone on November 10, 1871, in Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania, and famously greeted him (at least according to his own journal) by saying "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Stanley joined him in exploring the region, establishing for certain that there was no connection between Lake Tanganyika and the river Nile. On his return, he wrote a book about his experiences. The New York Herald, in partnership with Britain's Daily Telegraph, then financed him on another expedition to the African continent, one of his achievements being to solve the last great mystery of African exploration by tracing the course of the river Congo to the sea.

Related Topics:
Zanzibar - Porter - November 10 - 1871 - Ujiji - Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania - Nile - Daily Telegraph - Congo

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Controversy followed Stanley for most of his life. In later years he spent much energy defending himself against charges that his African expeditions had been marked by callous violence and brutality. Despite Stanley's efforts, the facts gradually emerged: his opinion was that "the savage only respects force, power, boldness, and decision." Stanley would be directly responsible for a great many deaths and indirectly responsible for helping establish the worst single episode of European greed and genocide in African history: the rule of King Léopold over the Congo Free State.

Related Topics:
Genocide - King Léopold - Congo Free State

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In 1886, Stanley led the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition to "rescue" Emin Pasha, the governor of Equatoria in the southern Sudan. After immense hardships and great loss of life, Stanley met Emin in 1888, discovered the Ruwenzori Range and Lake Edward, and emerged from the interior without Emin and his surviving followers at the end of 1890.

Related Topics:
1886 - Emin Pasha Relief Expedition - Emin Pasha - Equatoria - Sudan - 1888 - Ruwenzori Range - Lake Edward - 1890

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On his return to Europe, he married Welsh artist Dorothy Tennant, and entered Parliament as Unionist member for the London Borough of Lambeth, serving from 1895 to 1900. He died in London on May 10, 1904. His grave, in the graveyard of St. Michael's Church in Pirbright, Surrey, is marked by a large piece of granite.

Related Topics:
Dorothy Tennant - Parliament - Unionist - London Borough of Lambeth - 1895 - 1900 - May 10 - 1904 - Pirbright - Surrey

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