Henry Morton Stanley was one of the most famous European explorers of the African continent. His personal discipline, determination and hardy constitution were allied to a seemingly complete disregard for the lives of those who would help him in his achievements and to a journalistic flair that enabled him to promote his own importance via world newspapers and book-publishing. His life-work as an explorer and colonialist made him personally rich and inaugurated a pattern of invasion and exploitation that was to lead to the death of millions of Africans and the cultural ruin of the Congo basin, a legacy which still mires efforts at the cultural reconstruction of this crucial part of the earth’s ecology.

Henry Morton Stanley was born January 28th 1841 in Denbigh, North Wales. His mother

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Citation: Clark, Robert. "Henry Morton Stanley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 January 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4193, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4193 Henry Morton Stanley 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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