Savage Stanley of the Cruel Congo, Hero or zero?
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2022
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Stanley’s African adventures can really only be appreciated if one looked at maps he had to rely on to survive. If you looked up Andriveau-Goujon’s ‘Carte générale de l’Afrique’ (1856) as an example, you will see a different Africa one with vast empty spaces. To be sure, it was a marked improvement to sixteenth century maps who used cyclops and giant elephants to hide their lack of knowledge, but yet you can still find fictional gigantic lakes and mountain ranges such as Lake Tanganyika and the Mountains of the Moon. Then, imagine you are tasked to find a single person in one of these entirely blank regions, while you also need to convince over a hundred strangers with you that this endeavor will be an undoubtedly dazzling success. Learn how Stanley even reached such an opportunity, having been born in Wales and disowned by his parents, to soon globetrotting and travel writing with his pockets continuously filled by the wealthiest of patrons.
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Credit:
Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Narrator:
Chris Kane
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Bibliography
Baumeister, Roy F. and John Tierney. “Henry Morton Stanley’s Unbreakable Will.” Accessed July 12, 2022. Smithsonian Magazine.
Jeal, Tim. The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.
Middleton, Dorothy, Adam Augustyn, Aakanksha Gaur, Gloria Lotha, Deepti Mahajan, Amy McKenna, Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer, and Shiveta Singh. “Henry Morton Stanley.” Last modified May 06, 2022. Britannica.com.
Newman, James L. Imperial Footprints: Henry Mortan Stanley’s African Adventure. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, 2004.
Stanley, Henry Morton. How I Found Livingstone. London: Marston & Company, 1871.
Stanley, Henry Morton. Through The Dark Continent. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1878.
For me this sounds fairer than most recent biographies I've heard about Stanley. Rather than demonizing him as a colonizer he's more a pawn who's work was used against the people Stanley met and made treaties with. The real villain is King Leopold who had his own agenda and essentially became the Hitler of Africa. I'm reminded of hearing about this anthropologist from early Soviet Russia during the time of Stalin who studied the people who lived in Siberia. Siberia had many native tribes that were cut off from the modern world and when Stalin asked what should be done with these tribes the anthropologist simply felt they should be left alone. Instead Stalin imposed his will upon those tribes bringing them under tighter Soviet control.
@@Zeerich-yx9po He mostly forced northern tribes to work for soviet union by breeding deers and giving them to government. Those deers were essential for tribes because they were their only currency that provided them any well being. You can guess how much population of northern tribes shrinked after that.
In general currentday russia also imposes a lot of the indiginous tribes to reduce their autonomy and make them more russian by making the tribes lose their identity in favor of educating russian language and culture
I thought he was cool. Good exploring adventures. The Snake animation with a Leopold head was hilarious and accurate too.
@@Zeerich-yx9po I got it from a college lecture in Russian/Asian history. Keep in mind Siberia is a wide space with a lot of unknown tribes living there. I think the gulags were probably set up in areas the Russians already well settled. They do after all have some cities out there, but that doesn't mean every space is covered.
Anyone who chooses to lie and slant history in order to push modern racial narratives is a joke and a disgrace and should have all of their work looked at with contempt.
One of the most interesting things about Stanley was his time in the Civil War. Stanley was probably the only person in the entire war to serve Confederate Army, US Army, and US Navy.
The animation team has improved so much. Congrats to them.
Honestly I noticed that straight away too
@@Aiden_Muslim same, it gotten more accurate.
@@Aiden_Muslim Same
An important character molded by the times he lived on, as we all are.
Im sorry but theres no excuse for the way we have treated other races for being different in history other than ignorance and evil... And racism.. 3rd world countries can still be pretty barbaric too... Are they molded by the times or are they third world countries still because being raped of resources by other countries? (typically white dominated ones)
@@demonjmh this man was lied and abused as well, his men are also garbage.
"molded by the times he lived on" well said, i wish people had the brain cells to grasp that sentence
Was the Buddha or Bodhidharma or Jesus or St Franciscof Assisi “molded by the times he lived in”? If so, then how do you explain their peaceful and compassionate ways while others in their times were regular joes or abusive types?
At all times in history, there have been abusive people AND compassionate people. The time they lived didn’t determine that.
A scholar n a gentleman I must say
It’s not his fault his men gone rouge and started atrocities while away from him
It’s like blaming obi wan for the baby slayer 9000
true
OBI tried, it was Ani who failed!
Yes but some argue Columbus went through the same in the New World but, cmon... really?
Remember that Obi was warned not to train Aniken. He went ahead and did it anyway. The younglings, the entirety of planet Alderan's population, and many others would pay the price for Obi's thinking that he knew better than the Jedi council.
@@Wolffur Where would Anakin go if Obi-Wan didn't train him?
back to slavery with his mother Shmi
Palpatine might have taken Anakin as his apprentice much earlier
A hero is not quiet right but certainly not a zero. He is an adventurer and explorer through and true
Good video. I'm always interested in the intersecting stories of Livingston and Stanley. Here's a couple of bits of extra trivia: 1. According to the few witnesses of Stanley's first meeting with Dr. Livingston, Stanley was described as excitedly nervous to finally make contact with Dr. Livingston, the result: a somewhat awkward greeting by Stanley who stated, (now famously/infamously) "Dr. Livingston, I presume." Which even Stanley would later admit to being unintentional, but it was what came out of his mouth at the time. 2. In the 1949, Abbott & Costello film, "Africa Screams," Lou Costello plays department-store bookseller, turned unwilling, inexperienced, African expedition guide, "Stanley Livington" (the "s" dropped from Livingston likely for legal reasons.)
The film also featured appearances by world renowned non-lethal hunters/catchers/trainers of wild animals, Frank Buck ("Frank Buck brings 'em back alive" being his motto/slogan,) and top expert (at the time) of lions and "lion taming," Clyde Beatty.
Swing and a miss
Non lethal hunter? Thats an oxymoron. Like jumbo shrimp.
@@MA_KA_PA_TIE true, plus in actuality, I believe Clyde Beatty wasn't all that gentle with his lions, even though the movie (Africa Screams) makes Clyde out to be more like Frank Buck, who did make more of a real-life effort and take pride in "bringing 'em back alive."
He didn't actually say that, he made that up because he thought it sounded good and Victorian
Stanley was born about 5 miles from where i live he was brought up in a poor house wich is still there and he carried the cruelty he suffered there all his life he was definitely a self made man who took on the whole Victorian system.
He was born in Denbigh in the Castle . The Rowlands farm was just through the woods . I was born in the town. He grew up and ended up in the Workhouse in St Asaph
He's kind of a anakin type figure manipulated into atrocities but in the end he revived his good reputation he's a good man lead into something he didn't want or that he didn't know the true intentions
Not really hes not a toddler killer and its not really his fault his men were unruly and committed atrocities against the locals and likely against his orders its more like blaming obi wan for the fall of the jedi
But what atrocities did HE commit?
@@Dennis-nc3vw basically none
Please do a video on the battle of Delville wood. As a South African it would be truly amazing to see our troops remembered on this channel.
Thank you...
Truly a rollercoaster of a story
it's a shame we didn't get to hear more personal stories about those Africans who traveled with Livingstone and endured a lot of the suffering with him
bit of a mistake here
he fought for the Confederates, then deserted to the Union. He didn't desert the Union
He deserted the union navy
Sir Henry Morton Stanley GCB was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Africa and his search for missionary and explorer David Livingstone, whom he later claimed to have greeted with the now-famous line: "Dr Livingstone, I presume?". Besides his discovery of Livingstone, he is mainly known for his search for the sources of the Nile and Congo rivers, the work he undertook as an agent of King Leopold II of the Belgians which enabled the occupation of the Congo Basin region, and his command of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. He was knighted in 1897 and served in Parliament as a Liberal Unionist member for Lambeth North from 1895 to 1900.
More than a century after his death, Stanley's legacy remains the subject of enduring controversy. Although he personally had high regard for many of the native African people who accompanied him on his expeditions, the exaggerated accounts of corporal punishment and brutality in his books fostered a public reputation as a hard-driving, cruel leader, in contrast to the supposedly more humanitarian Livingstone. His contemporary image in Britain also suffered from the inaccurate perception that he was American. In the 20th century, his reputation was also seriously damaged by his role in establishing the Congo Free State for King Leopold II. Nevertheless, he is recognized for his important contributions to Western knowledge of Central Africa's geography and his resolute opposition to the slave trade in East Africa.
"Hero or zero"?
At least he wasn't a potato.
Leopold is the true villain all along anyways
1:42 I like the hippo character models :)
This story sounds a lot like a mixture of Jake Sulley and Milo Thatch from Avatar and Atlantis. Milo Thatch wanted to explore and make discoveries, only to regret it when he found out he was merely being used as a pawn by greedy men, and innocent people were getting hurt. Jake Sulley was a former US marine who became accepted into an alien tribe as one of their own, only to be reputiated as a deceiver and traitor when his superiors destroyed and robbed the natives of their homes.
Very good Comparison to the movie sort of well known in today standards
yeah I only wish that he helped bring modern weapons to the Congolese people and start a Glorious but futile attempt at freeing the Congolese people from the cruel hands of Leopold the 2th. From fighting for the Confederacy to trying to free the Congolese from cruel colonials. would have made a good TV show or movie with a lot of character growth but sadly that didn't happen.
Neither of those things are real.
@@bdan6954 I'm saying those two stories may have been inspired by this
Damn the animation is much better than before bravo
Very good job fellows!! Congratulations.
"Dr Livingstone, I presume."
poor guy, he was only questionable evil through the osmosis of another man who was irrefutably evil
I’d love to see you do a video on the American Civil War. Antietam? Battle of Atlanta? Vicksburg?
Excellent story! I really liked that one. I never heard of this man until I watched the video. Keep them coming!
Well, atleast now I know why The Great TopGear trio had in credits at the end "I presume" with every name in an african special when they found the LEGITIMATE source of river Nile.
I am related to David Livingstone, believe it or not, my mother is 1% congo, her maiden name is Livingston, the rest of my family is Livingston as well. After doing ancestry, we believe that we have at we have 0.5-15% connection to him through blood. Our family name alteration occurred through the years. We personally believe that David had an affair while in Zambia, with a possible mistress, then moved up and down through the Congo and back into Zambia. Interesting to know a little more about this mysterious character.
I believe you, because I’m actually related to prophet Muhammad (SWT) and also cool story!
@@thepeoplesrepublicofarstot4679 i highly doubt that
@@bloopfloop9943 you are entitled to your own opinion, I have a family tree tracing back to 1500 years ago
@@thepeoplesrepublicofarstot4679 i doubt you could trace your family from that long ago
@@bloopfloop9943 my family has been traced back 2000 years so it's possible not common but possible.
You should have mentioned how the modern machine gun(maxim gun) was used for the very first time on the emin pasha expedition against the local tribes
Probably saving that bit of info for the video about Pasha. It doesn't really directly relate to Stanley being as how he wasn't involved in that in the least amount.
A video about French Congo would be cool to see. The machine gun use could be found in that video probably if they make it. Stanley wouldn't be in that one though.
@@dant.3505 Stanley and the Italian-French explorer de Brazza responsible for much of France's early empire building in Central Africa were rivals. He'd definitely be featured
This is a short biographical introduction to Stanley. The French and Belgian Congos have very obviously intertwined histories. For one, the French, wary of Stanley’s connection to the British, demanded his recall before agreeing at Berlin. Secondly, the modern borders that separate the DRC and the former French colonies to its north are a direct product of Stanley and de Brazza’s competing maneuvers
Also, the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition was absolutely connected to Stanley’s earlier work in the Congo. Stanley was Leopold’s employee and the latter only agreed to allow his participation because he hoped to co-opt Emin and his Equatorial micro state into his growing holdings.
"This is the story of a man named Stanley..."
HAHAHAHAHHA
Stanley was probably not a hero but he's definitely not a monster; he was an explorer and a damn good one.
I mean his treaty with the local tribes and giving a monster who is a king his employer and can have him shot a rip down for lying to him and breaking those treaites is pretty heroic
Animations getting better and better 👌🏻
I watch this channel in year. I still drram of them making a video om the brazilian expeditionary forces since the WW2 factions series
Eu já desisti kkkkkk
What an awesome story, one of my favorite Top Gear episodes revolves around finding the source of the Nile.
It would be hard to find any man in history who has been slandered so completely and ruthlessly as has King Leopold II.
There is a really good behind the bastards episode on this guy
Don’t know if anyone else from Britain does this but my grandmother always use to say “Gordon Bennett!” As an exclamation… funny seeing him actually pop up in a simple history vid. I’m trying to keep the phrase alive but people from my generation (early 20’s) seem to have never heard of it
Good video guys
Great vid
This guy needs a movie.
0:11 'in the spring of 1859'. The Union flag shown was scrapped in 1801.
Looks like the guy from the first Jumanji
i mean ofc, dude from the first jumaji was modled after Africa explorers
A video o nether explorer Stanley? Thank you so much.
Umm yeah, gonna go with hero on this one. A European exploring that far into Africa is the equivalent of an African exploring Siberia. Pretty amazing stuff
It's what his explorations or to that is questionable
@@nomad155 he seems like a pretty sand-up guy to me. What's your issue with him?
@@nomad155 try that again, I don't understand the incoherent gibberish in your reply.
@@homeaccount7977 what did he say? I don't get it.
@@dant.3505 yeah, it sounds like something Joe Biden would say lol
Even tho you have fallin from your fame you once had you still live on and have a good fanbase
Do a video on the White Headhunter
Heart of darkness vibes
This story help me to known a new information about sailors.
As a Brit I find colonial history both disturbing and fascinating at the same time. It's tragic that the lives of so many African, Asian, Indian and more lives were cut short by European expansion. Although it also fascinates me that formally isolated countries like England (later Britain) and France were able to expand so widely. It's also important to learn from our past so that we can prevent such tragic occupations in the future. Plus there were a few positives from colonialism such as expanded worldwide trade and new inventions. This doesn't by any means mean I'm proud of the British Empire though. History is complicated sometimes
I don't have a problem with British colonists in my place. I'm from Borneo and a British merchant came here and freed us from the constant danger of local pirates over 100 years ago. There were rebellions but since they're mostly caused by pirates who couldn't practice their piracy anymore no one, except for academics and text books trying to garner anti-colonist talking points, cares to celebrate them as heroes. Decades later the warring tribes even agreed of ending hostilities under the supervision of the Dutch and British representatives. Reading up about that event always bring tears to my eyes.
The first White Rajah kept outsiders from exploiting our country. The second Rajah wanted locals to learn how to deal with outsiders. The third and last Rajah wanted locals to learn how to govern ourselves since he wasn't interested in continuing the White Rajah legacy. Sadly, World War 2 started and Imperial Japan invaded.
I do have a problem with post-war Britain. The British government just chucked us over to Malaya because they didn't have the money to protect another colony from the coming Communist threat.
@@dareka9425 Unfortunately post-war Britain was left in dept to the US after the war. Because of this, it's very hard to keep running the largest empire in the history of mankind
I personally like the British empire as it built the infrastructure in the country my family members lives in Hong Kong and Singapore. The take over of Hong Kong was justified as the Chinese destroyed a kings ransom in property for the first war.
@@dogemining8837 I've heard people in Hong Kong are dissatisfied with Chinese rule lately
@@oliversherman2414 yes quite
No he's definitely a hero.
Are you releasing merch anytime soon?
>"Like most English explorers of his time"
>Was Welsh
The sheepshaggers won't like that much.
Make a video about the Underground Railroad
try to do a video on the P.1500 "monster' the largest artilery gun ever made
In Congo, Stanley became known as "Bula Matari" - "Breaker of Rocks". And justly so.
Bless Your Perfection
Praise the true creators 🙌
Can you make a video about the netherlands in the golden age? And maybe dorestad
Can you do a video on the Killdozer of 2004?
"Dr Livingstone, I presume."
Next Video idea:
Douglas Monroe first and only US Coastguardman to be award thr medal of honor.
New art style!
Stanely found the bucket and he became very fond of it
1:37 cute hippo '-'
Can you do Bloody Kansas?
Poor fella lived a rough life towards the end, hopefully he's in a better place 🙏
His early life was a nightmare too.
"Doctor Freeman I presume?"
Could you do the battle of Hamburg hill
Definitely a hero.
As ambitious and cruel Leopold II was, I do wonder how many atrocities he was aware of or even able to prevent in the first place.
Hey Simple History, can we get a video on The Unkown Invasion on Alaska from WW2 Im reading a book about it it's really interesting and a video would be cool The Invasion was started by the Japanese!
I would love a video about how the German aces were able gain so many victories over the Russians
My British Aunt adored Stanley.
I love how we never see him with a blunderbuss and that we never see an elephant’s tusk being ripped off either.
I honestly think he meant well, but life threw him some serious curve balls.
It’s a shame that “Dr. Livingston I presume” will be forgotten soon.
It was a popular phrase when I grew up in the 60s.
@Don't Read My Profile Photo Ok I won't
He definitely was falling into the Die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. Over all I say he was more hero a then a villain sense his more questionable actions where done in none ideal circumstancess.
Definitely a hero
Hero
It would be aswome if you could do a video about Solider millions he was in the PEF (Portuguese Expeditionary Force) WW1
countless died by noble alexander's hand but his greatness is undeniable
ARRIVED
If he was Welsh then he wasn’t an English explorer as you called him.
@@vatsal7640 I think that still makes him Welsh.
@@vatsal7640 Wales has never been part of England. They are two separate countries but are part of the UK or Britain as it’s sometimes still called.
As a direct decendent of Edmund musgrove Barttelot, he in this expedition is portrayed quite differently then what he was actually was. I have read his diary’s and they are quite different
Can you guys please do a video on Sgt. Maj. Dan Daly?
A interesting man that’s for sure
a of biography of Francis Drake will be nice.
Bless this channel!!
Do “ The Battle of Alcatraz” that is a hostage story that is still talked about
I like the guy that got stuck on the waterfall.
- I just love the whole style and pretty much everything about that whole English naturalist explorer type character. They are such adventurous and just capable and strong characters who just win wherever they go :)
Also very evil in a lot of cases.
They are extremely interesting people. They live for the sole purpose of adventure and excitement like if there’s a war where they’re currently at even if they don’t really know what’s going on they’ll fight in it just for the excitement.
@@nedsteven4622 Ok? I am just saying that they are not that admirable most of the time. Or arguably ever considering the wider colonization effort they were a part of.
The man mentioned in this video was Welsh.
I think you're romanticizing a bit
Definitely hero 👌.
Wild
6:50 Reference to anti-King Leopold II Cartoon
3:27
??
I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume he actually said that
An extraordinary character whose workhouse childhood upbringing before setting sail to America is worthy of a short documentary and goes along way to justifying his motivations, and later life decisions and politics. In comparison to the brutality and incompetent leadership of many other African explorers, Livingstone included, HMS was an exception; showing repeated empathy and true (if firm) leadership in conditions and circumstances no one will ever understand to hold the groups together. His journalistic efforts were only a conduit to his true love, that of exploration for the sake of it and fortuitously provided him in the "scoop" of Livingston. His support of colonialism in the interests of commercialism of the Central regions of Africa and the abolition of Arab-led slavery on the East coast his interests were repeatedly shown to sincere.
Tricked and then his rearguard went back. With the record of him making those treaties he’s not the reason for the problem just misfortune and the king.
Yeah, King Leopold II is still the villain here.
Hmmm I wonder if I could be related to him Rowlands is not a very comment name in Wales
"Dr. Livingston, I presume?"
I don't think it was necessarily something added in later on just because it wasn't reported at the time. Who would think that such an innocuously asked question would become iconic
6:51 WHAT IS THAT HELP
It's a metaphor about Leopold II, with the portrayal of him being a snake that devoured the will of the Congo people.
Cymro chad 💪
I love your channel keep up the great stuff!
King Leopold II of Belgium = Palpatine
Henry Morton Stanley = Anakin Skywalker
So this is how the Congolese city came to be named Stanleyville?
There is a soldier named Corporal Seyit he take 275 kg ammo to artilerry in Gallipoli as Turk
He seems like he had good intentions but got caught up with those who didn't