Congolese+Statues+of+Westerners

In Congo there were statues of David Livingston, Henry Morton Stanley and King Leopold II. Unfortunately after Congo got its independence and General Mobutu came into power the statues were taken down and hidden away so that there would be no remembrance of “Colonial Congo.”
 * //__ Statues of Outsiders __//**


 * //__ Henry Morton Stanley __//**

(January 28, 1841- May 10, 1904)Henry Morton Stanley was a special contributor for the __New York Harold__. Two years later he was hired to go to Africa to find Dr. David Livingston whom they had heard from since 1866 when he was sent to find the source of the Nile River. Stanley found him in the Congo. When Livingston died Stanley continued to look for the source of the river. King Leopold II found out Stanley was in Congo and hired him to claim Congo for not Belgium but for the king himself. Stanley made way for roads and cities by brutally forcing the Congolese into doing the work.

(1813-1877) When he had grown up, David Livingston decided his calling in life was to help the Congolese and to convert them to Christianity. While doing so he filled many gaps in the western world’s maps of Africa and became the first European to cross the width of Southern Africa. He did many other explorations and tried to stop the cruel slavery in Africa. He went back to Africa looking for the source of the Nile. After many months of not being heard from he met up with Henry Stanley and together they continued to search for the source of the Nile. After he died his body was taken to Westminster Abbey.
 * //__ David Livingston __//**

(1835-1909) In the mid-1870’s King Leopold II king of Belgium took Congo for himself for his own little income/colony. His reason was that he was trying to protect the Congolese from slavery and bring them to Christianity. The truth was he was using the Congolese for his own slaves, raping them, cutting off their hands and doing much, much more. He continued to rule Congo until 1909 when he died of old age.
 * //__ King Leopold II __//**