In 1887, Welsh-American explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, journeys to Africa for what may be his final expedition, the search for Emin Pasha, governor of the province of Equatoria.  Thirty years before, Stanley began his career by searching for someone else, the famed explorer David Livingstone.  On his adventures, his conduct makes him a controversial figure, one who believes in a means to an end.  His success draws the attention of Leopold II, king of Belgium, orchestrator of what will become the Congo Free State.  Ultimately, Stanley's efforts are a driving force behind the Scramble for Africa and the injustices that will occur in the CFS will lead to one of the first uses of the phrase "crimes against humanity."

Follow The Land of Odd: A History Podcast on Instagram at landofoddpodcast.  If you have a story you'd like to hear covered, send an email to landofoddpod@gmail.com

Sources:

Baumeister, Roy F. and John Tierney.  "Henry Morton Stanley's Unbreakable Will."  Smithsonian Magazine, December 2011, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/henry-morton-stanleys-unbreakable-will-99405/


Hochschild, Adam.  King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa.  Mariner Books, 1999.


Jeal, Tim.  Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer.  Yale University Press, 2008.


Rutherford, Marcus.  "Should Henry Morton Stanley's Statue Be Pulled Down?"  The Spectator, 7 August 2021, https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/should-henry-morton-stanley-s-statue-be-pulled-down/


Severin, Timothy.  "The Making of An American Lion."  American Heritage, vol. 25, issue 2, February 1974, https://www.americanheritage.com/making-american-lion?page=5


Smith, Judy Pollard.  Don't Call Me Lady: The Journey of Lady Alice Seeley Harris.  Abbott Press, 2014.