Henry Morton Stanley was a British-American explorer, journalist, and soldier who is best known for his exploration of Africa and his search for the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone. Stanley was born John Rowlands in Denbigh, Wales, in 1841. His mother, Elizabeth Parry, was a housemaid, and his father, John Rowlands, was a house painter. Stanley was abandoned by his parents at a young age and was sent to St. Asaph Union Workhouse, where he lived until he was five years old.
Stanley was adopted by a wealthy ship-owner, Thomas Stanley, and his wife, who changed his name to Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley was educated at St. Asaph Grammar School and then at the Wrexham Training College. He was a bright student and was accepted into the Royal Geographical Society in 1864.
In 1869, Stanley was sent to Africa by the New York Herald newspaper to find the missing explorer David Livingstone. Stanley traveled through the Congo and eventually found Livingstone in Ujiji, Tanzania, in 1871. Stanley famously greeted Livingstone with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
After finding Livingstone, Stanley continued his exploration of Africa. He explored the Congo River and the Great Lakes region, and he was the first European to cross the continent from east to west. He also explored the Ruwenzori Mountains and the Lualaba River. Stanley's explorations were funded by the British government and the International African Association.
Stanley wrote several books about his explorations, including Through the Dark Continent (1878) and In Darkest Africa (1890). He also wrote a biography of Livingstone, entitled The Life and Explorations of David Livingstone (1872).
In 1877, Stanley was appointed as a special correspondent for the New York Herald and the Daily Telegraph. He wrote about his explorations and his travels in Africa, and he also wrote about the political situation in the Congo.
In 1887, Stanley was appointed as the first governor of the Congo Free State, a private colony of the Belgian king Leopold II. Stanley was responsible for the development of the colony and for the suppression of the slave trade. He also negotiated treaties with local African chiefs and established trading posts.
Stanley returned to England in 1889 and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1899. He died in London in 1904.
Henry Morton Stanley was a remarkable explorer and journalist who made significant contributions to the exploration of Africa. His explorations opened up the continent to European exploration and colonization, and his writings about his travels and his experiences in Africa helped to shape the public's perception of the continent. Stanley's legacy lives on in the many books and articles that have been written about him and his explorations.