1.4: The Role and Influence of Individuals Flashcards
why were people colonised?
- scientific exploration
- thrill
- for status and wealth
- to spread christianity
- for strategic reasons
who is David Livingstone?
The most famous early Victorian explorer
Where did Livingstone start his career?
He was a missionary doctor in SA 1841
Where did Livingstone direct his career too later?
He explored unchartered territories being lured by the desire to establish ‘legitimate trade’
What places did Livingstone travel too?
He discovered the Zambezi river (1851)
In 1858 he attempted an expedition along the Zambezi River to locate the source of the Nile
How did Livingstone spread awareness about his activity?
He returned in 1857 and conducted lectures at Cambridge University recounting the geography, diseases, languages and cultures he had encountered.
He sent 2000 letters back to the public
What were the effects of Livingstone’s expeditions?
He thrilled public imagination about empire
The government, happy with this, funded his expedition in 1858 to find the source of the Nile
How did Livingstone’s disappearance fuel public thrill?
People saw Africa as the dark continent and the unknown, his disappearance cemented this. It also established him as a martyr who sacrificed his life for empire.
Why was Kirk’s presence in Zanzibar vital?
He secured British interests, ensuring Zanzibar ran as a client state.
What position did Kirk hold when he returned to Zanzibar in 1868?
He returned as a medical officer and Vice Consul of Zanzibar, living out the rest of his career as a diplomat until 1886
who was John Kirk?
a Scottish physician, chief medical officer and economic botanist for Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition, who’s career embraced the spirit of adventure, science, christianity and a desire for a colonial position.
What were his achievements in the 1858 Zambezi expedition?
Although he almost drowned in rapids in 1860, he collected many aquatic specimens, most notably mussels, and brought them back for study to Britain
Why was Zanzibar important to Britain?
It was of commercial interest due to its clove and ivory exports. It was also a wealthy state home to EA’s first steam railway track.
What treaties did Britain initiate in Zanzibar to ensure security?
Treaties ensured the Zanzibari Sultan outlawed the slave trade with Britains aid and ensured commerce grew with British interests in mind
Who is Sir Richard Burton?
A linguistic scholar, explorer and adventurer who became famous in the 1850s for his stories of Muslim life and manners
What was groundbreaking about his work around Islam?
He visited Mecca and Medina when no Western Christian had gone before
When did Burton visit Somaliland and what happened?
1855: got wounded in the jaw by a javelin thrown by a local
Why was Burton in Somaliland?
He was aiming to undergo an exhibition from the inland to Zanzibar (1857-8)
Why did Burton lose his glory with the Zanzibar expedition?
He had to abandon the mission due to Malaria and so Speke received the glory of identifying Lake Victoria and theorising that it was the source of the Nile
What was Burton’s opinion on Speke’s findings?
He disagreed leading to quarrels with Speke. In 1964 the British Association for the Advancement of Science invited them to hash out their debated but it did not happen due to Speke’s death
What did Burton achieve during his career?
- Produced 43 volumes of books outlining his explorations
- 5 books describing West Africa tribal rituals concerning births, marriage. birth, fetishism, cannibalism
- 30 volumes of translations
- He acquired a reputation for his daring essays on pornography, homosexuality and sexual education for women
Who was John Speke?
An explorer
What were Speke’s conclusions about the Nile?
1860 mapped out parts of Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile, and found Ripon Falls was the exit
What did Speke do in East Africa?
-Companioned Burton in Somaliland
-Journeyed for 6 months
- Became the first European to reach Lake Tanganyika in 1858
- Reached the Great Lake ‘Lake Victoria, naming it after the queen
What did Victorian ideas champion?
Racial superiority and differences and gendered expectations
