David Livingstone Research Paper

David Livingstone: African Missionary and Explorer David Livingstone was a Scottish born missionary, doctor, and explorer that would help open the heart of Africa to the West. Livingstone was a man of many firsts, in a time when the world saw: rapid change, development, and expansion. In his push into the heart of Africa, it was Livingstone’s belief in these three ideas that would help open Africa to the world: Christianity, commerce, and civilization (Shepperson). David Livingstone was a forerunner in the exploration of the African continent during 1800’s, and he would leave a mark of the continual spread of Christian values and western ideals for those that would follow after him. David Livingstone was born in the town of Blantyre, Scotland

His father a Calvinist, and David’s mother was a Covenanter, a militant Presbyterian group that fought for the religious freedom in the country during the 1600’s. In his earliest years, Livingstone was reared in the Calvinist belief that was a well-established part of the Scottish church. In his late teen years, David along with his father would switch to an independent Christian congregation, that was of a much stricter discipline (Shepperson). It was this environment that would develop the mindset and physical body that would help propel David Livingstone into his career as both a missionary and explorer in

It was this encounter that would open David’s mind to the possibilities that could be found in Africa. Robert Moffat was a missionary to southern Africa for fifty years. It was based on the foundations that had been laid down on Moffat’s behalf that David Livingstone was able to launch into such a successful career on the African mission field (Barlow). On November 20, 1840, David Livingstone was ordained as a missionary; he set sail for South Africa at the end of the year and arrived at Cape Town on March 14, 1841