About
Born John Rowlands in Wales, Henry Morton Stanley emigrated to the United States in 1859 and adopted the name of his benefactor. As a correspondent for the New York Herald, he became famous for finding David Livingstone at Ujiji in 1871. He then led a trans-African expedition (1874-1877) that mapped Lake Victoria and traced the Congo River to the Atlantic. In the service of King Leopold II, he established stations and founded Léopoldville (Kinshasa) in 1881, contributing to the creation of the Congo Free State. His exploration of Central Africa, marked by the use of force, remains controversial. He was knighted in 1899.
* 1841-01-28 — † 1904-05-10
Major works
- How I Found Livingstone (1872)travelogue
- Through the Dark Continent (1878)travelogue
- The Congo and the Founding of Its Free State (1885)history
- In Darkest Africa (1890)travelogue
Key milestones
- 1871Finds David Livingstone at Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika.
- 1877Completes the first east-west crossing of Africa, following the Congo River to the Atlantic.
- 1881Founds Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) in the Congo.
Themes
African explorationColonialismJournalismImperialismControversy
Sources: britannica.com · bbc.co.uk · africamuseum.be