Several Examples Of Livingstone's Actions And Writings example essay topic

On November 10, 1871, David Livingstone had been sitting on a straw mat on the mud veranda of his house in Ujiji when he heard a commotion. Slowly rising to his feet, he brushed through the gathering crowds to find a contingent of porters bearing an incredible assortment of goods: bales of cloth, huge kettles, and tents. Suddenly, a formal American traveler stepped forward, removed his helmet, and extended his hand. The words that adventurer Henry M. Stanley spoke to the aging explorer at this very moment are perhaps the most famous in history: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Since the famous meeting of Stanley and Livingstone at Ujiji, the two have been permanently linked.

The ambitious adventurer had finally found the lost missionary and explorer in one of the most remote places on earth. Headlines across the world had proclaimed both of these men as heroes and their reputations have been solidified in the history books ever since Livingstone died nearly two years later and his body transported nearly fifteen-hundred miles to London where he was given a grand funeral in Westminster Abbey. Thousands turned out to see the great man who just eight years before was dismissed by his nation as an untrustworthy romantic dreamer. Upon his death in 1874, Livingstone became the champion of colonialism and promoter of Social Darwinism that Britain needed.

According to his biographers, his travels and work justified the need for Britain to bring "civilization, Christianity, and commerce" to Africa. The attitudes and beliefs of people in the United States today are very different from those who lived in late twentieth-century Victorian England. Livingstone is viewed not as a hero and role model in our society, but as a complex man who represented all that 2 was wrong with a racist Victorian society. For example, we learned last week in class that the explorer promoted Social Darwinism in Africa by firmly supporting the belief that the British "came among them as a superior race". However, Andrew Ross claimed in his article that the "real" Livingstone, the man who condemned British policy in southern Africa and who saw Africans as having the same rights as Europeans is nowhere to be found in the history books.

This revisionist look at the "misunderstood" missionary and explorer is an intriguing and interesting attempt to counter the traditional portrayals and help shed new light on the overlooked beliefs and personality of Livingstone. Ross's thesis is strongly supported by several examples of Livingstone's actions and writings while in Africa. The British invasion of Xhosa territory and the brutal treatment by the government toward soldiers who had deserted seemed to have deeply affected him. Comparing his government to the reactionary tyrants of Europe when they crushed the liberal rebellions of 1848; Livingstone clearly admired the Xhosa's fight for liberty and defiance toward a hypocritical nation.

In addition, he condemned fellow missionaries who aided the British invasion as traitors to Christianity. Deeply influenced by the Xhosa chief Sandi le, Livingstone opposed the slave trade and was instrumental in the attempt to eliminate it in central and southern Africa. Although a failure in his missionary work, the Scot befriended many local tribes throughout the continent and was highly respected by them for the remainder of his life. Two dedicated followers even trekked nearly fourteen-hundred miles across the African wilderness to deliver his body to London. 3 For the most part, Livingstone publicly supported the British Empire and remained silent in his criticism of it. However, his journals and letters reveal a side of him that believed in human equality and rejected the theory of Social Darwinism.

Describing a cannibalistic tribe on his last expedition, Livingstone wrote "and yet they are a fine looking race; I would back a company of Many ema men to be far superior in shape of head and generally in physical form too against the whole Anthropological Society". In addition, he felt that Africans had the right to take up arms to defend themselves from conquest. I believe that Ross has made a strong argument in support of Livingstone. Several convincing examples were presented including his condemnation of the British conquest in southern Africa, the attempt to abolish the slave trade, the belief in human equality for all human beings, the soured relations with his LMS colleagues over imperialistic policy, and the success of achieving loyalty from African natives during his many journeys. It is also important to note that Livingstone's love for Africa and the many years spent on the continent made him a complete failure to his wife and children back home. Being a student of history, I was familiar with this topic before reading the article.

After reading it several times and reflecting on what Ross had to say, I had a difficult time finding any weaknesses in his writing. I always believed that Livingstone was very different from the many explorers and imperialists who followed him. He was a missionary at heart and traveled throughout Africa to explore it and spread Christianity in a non-violent way. During his many travels, Livingstone rarely if ever carried a gun and the many friendships and negotiations that he forged with the natives convinced me that 4 these are achievements that are often overlooked in our current history books. I thought Ross made an excellent point at the end of his article by saying that the famous meeting at Ujiji on November 10, 1871 was the meeting of two different worlds. I believe that it was Livingstone who truly found Stanley, providing a fatherly inspiration for the younger adventurer and soon to be explorer.

However, Stanley proved to be a very different kind of man than his mentor. The "Scramble" for Africa was on the horizon, and the colonizing of Africa would not be done with the Bible, but rather with the Martini-Henry rifle and Gatling gun.