David Livingstone

David Livingstone was one of the most revered and respected African explorers of his time. He spent almost 30 years exploring a region little known to the outside world. He often put ambition before family and his own personal health in his quest to open the interior of Africa to “Civilization, Christianity, and

Commerce.';(Hollett 236) Through his daring explorations into the unknown, he discovered and documented many new landmarks inside the dark continent, and at times became obsessed with his determination to find a single source of the Nile. He had a major impact on later expeditions into central Africa. .

Livingstone was born to a poor Scottish family in 1813. Starting at age ten,

Livingstone worked in a cotton mill while pursuing his studies at night. He was an avid reader, and would often stay up until twelve or later, buried in a book. Livingstone enjoyed reading on a variety of subjects, but read mostly scientific works and explorer’s journals. As a boy, David made few friends. Others described him as quiet, sulky, and unremarkable. Yet despite this, David was a tireless worker, and extremely motivated toward his goals.

By age 17, Livingstone had decided he wanted to leave the mill and become a doctor. Livingstone’s father, a deeply religious man, wanted him to go into a religious field, and would not allow him to go. Livingstone eventually convinced his father to let him go to school and become a missionary in China. After finishing school, Livingstone had planned to go to China to perform his missionary duties, but because of the Opium War, Livingstone’s plans were altered. He continued his studies, and became a respected member of the medical community. Soon though, he offered his services to the London Missionary Society, and was assigned to a mission in Africa.

Early knowledge and exploration of Africa was confined to desert and coastal regions. The interior humid regions held many difficulties for prospective explorers. This included climate, vegetation, and hostile peoples and creatures. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, most of Africa was unexplored, and unmapped. The British were the first Europeans to make a serious attempt at exploration of the interior of Africa. Earlier European contacts were rel...

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...lf that the Lualaba River was the source of the Nile, it was not confirmed until after Livingstone’s death that Lake Victoria and the Mountains of the Moon were the actual sources of the Nile.

Livingstone’s missions began and ended in Africa. His explorations were primarily in the Lake Tanganyika and Lualaba River regions. He enjoyed living with the native peoples, eating their food, sleeping in their huts, and without losing his own identity, he made their life his own. He probably understood the African people; their beliefs, fears and needs better than anyone outside of Africa at that time. He sacrificed personal needs for what he believed was his mission to Africa,and was probably more spiritually content to meet his death there than any place else.

David Livingstone’s three works on South and South Central Africa had major impacts on the worlds understanding of, and social and political attitudes and policy towards Africa. Although his books made him one of the most famous and respected explorers, he was not as concerned with fame and riches as much as having the backing and resources to pursue his objectives in the then dark continent of Africa.