Livingstone in Africa

Livingstone visits Victoria Falls

David Livingstone visited Victoria Falls in 1856.

Livingstone expedition to East Africa

1866-73 are the inclusive dates for David Livingstone's expedition into the East African lakes region. The famed missionary explorer David Livingstone entered the Nile sweepstakes to restore his reputation, which had been sullied by the futility of his previous Zambezi expedition. He was determined to prove that the Nile originated from the string of lakes further south. His death on the shores of Lake Bangweulu left his theory unconfirmed. Image: Photograph of Stanley Livingstone by Thomas Annan. This image is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired. Note that the exact month of the beginning and end of this expedition is difficult to determine.

Articles

Matthew Rubery, "On Henry Morton Stanley’s Search for Dr. Livingstone, 1871-72"

Dane Kennedy, "The Search for the Nile"

Stanley finds Livingstone

On 2 July 1872, Henry Morton Stanley finds Dr. David Livingstone in Africa. Image: Thomas Annan, Photograph of Stanley Livingstone. This image is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired.

On 2 July 1872, the New York Herald reported news of the meeting between Henry Morton Stanley and Dr. David Livingstone in Africa. The Scottish missionary had been out of contact for nearly three years when Stanley traveled to Africa in search of him. The meeting took place at Ujiji in either October or November 1871 (the precise date is unknown). The meeting was one of the most sensational news stories of the nineteenth century. Stanley’s greeting “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” is still a well known phrase. The meeting turned public attention to the African slave trade and was a pivotal moment in the relationship among the United States, Europe, and Africa.

Articles

Matthew Rubery, "On Henry Morton Stanley's Search for Dr. Livingstone, 1871-72"

Related Articles

Dane Kennedy, "The Search for the Nile"

Stanley expedition to Africa

1874-77 are the inclusive dates of Henry Morton Stanley's transcontinental expedition. This remarkable expedition resolved the major questions surrounding the source of the Nile. Stanley circumnavigated Lake Victoria, confirming John Hanning Speke’s claim that the Nile exited from its northern shore. He then circumnavigated Lake Tanganyika, disproving speculation that it provided an alternative tributary to the Nile. Finally, he followed the course of the Lualaba river, demonstrating that it flowed into the Congo, which he took to its outlet in the Atlantic. Image: Photograph of Sir Henry Morton Stanley from The Autobiography of Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1890). This image is in the public domain in the United States as its copyright has expired. Note that the exact month of the beginning and end of this expedition is difficult to determine.

Articles

Dane Kennedy, "The Search for the Nile"