Berkeley Stessman suspect board by Berkeley

Why he is guilty

857674_1 — 2025-04-22 17:40:39 UTC

Henry Morton Stanley is responsible for killing 10 million Congolese people. First of all, he is a horrible person in general, and did not care about anyone else but himself. He tries to make it seem like it was Leopold who made him do everything, but it was all him. He fully executed his orders from Leopold, and if he ever did realize what he did wrong, he didn't stop. Then when he saw his soldiers mistreating the Congolese people, he didn't do anything, and went through with the torture, making him responsible. He organized everything that happened in the Congo, and was physically there, abusing innocent people, which makes him responsible for the death of 10 million Congolese people.

Evidence #1

857674_1 — 2025-04-22 21:02:39 UTC

" You did not care if people got sick and died, you wanted to look good for the pictures that would be published in the newspaper."

Evidence #2

857674_1 — 2025-04-22 21:06:46 UTC

"You stood by and allowed European soldiers and leaders to abuse and treat Congolese workers with extreme cruelty."

Evidence #3

857674_1 — 2025-04-22 21:10:55 UTC

"You were the one who negotiated the treaties with the Congolese, you were the one who made the maps for the traders who stole the resources"

Who is Henry Morton Stanley

857674_1 — 2025-04-23 17:11:54 UTC

Henry Morton Stanley was hired by King Leopold II to go to the Congo Free State, and take over land. His mission was to claim the land, and its resources, mainly its rubber. He brought the Force Publique, an army of soldiers to come with, and helped take over the colony. He disguised it as the International African Association, making him seem innocent. He claimed that the purpose was for science and charity, but really he knew what he was doing was wrong, and wanted the fame. He was supposedly doing this all under the rule of Kind Leopold II, but really he was doing it for fame and power, and wanted people to recognize him.

Reasoning 1

857674_1 — 2025-04-23 17:39:21 UTC

This evidence shows how he is guilty because it shows us how horrible of a person he was. Due to how historical of an event this was, a lot of fame and popularity came with it. Therefore, Stanley only cared about the fame, and not the people he was working with. He used them as slaves, and even though they were helping him gain popularity in the long term, still he just treated them like nothing. He pretty much wanted people to know how horrible of a person he was, and that was nothing Leopold could control. This proves he did know what he was doing, and knew it was wrong, because he wanted people to know about it.

Reasoning 2

857674_1 — 2025-04-24 02:46:23 UTC

This evidence shows that he was ruthless to the Congolese people, and when he physically watched his soldiers hurt the Congolese people, he didn't do anything. He was careless, and selfish, and the fact that he just watched people get hurt and not say or do anything to stop it, shows how he was aware of what was going on and felt somewhat good about it. This proves he just wanted the Congolese people to die, making him guilty for their lives being lost. He may argue that he was forced by Leopold, but Leopold had nothing to do with the ruthlessness Stanley displayed, because it wasn't Leopold who just watched innocent people get hurt.

Reasoning 3

857674_1 — 2025-04-24 02:53:56 UTC

This quote proves that Henry Morton Stanley physically did everything, organized with the natives, mapped the plan for his soldiers, because after all, he was in control. King Leopold II wasn't physically in the Congo, and couldn't control what happened there, which put Stanley in charge. This then made him guilty, and for a right reason, because he was the one who actually got his hands dirty. He greatly contributed to the loss of those 10 million lives, and without him, none of the procedures of the Force Publique would have been as successful. They may not even have happened without Stanley, which means not only everyone contributed, but he contributed the most. He is guilty because he knew what he was doing was wrong, and physically went through with it.

Counterclaim

857674_1 — 2025-04-24 03:00:39 UTC

While some people may claim it was King Leopold II who is to blame, he didn't get his hands dirty. Yes, he was the mastermind behind everything, and he hired and made everyone do their roles just so he had power, but he never set foot in the Congo. He never, ever, physically killed someone, and what Henry Morton Stanley did in the Congo was out of his control. Leopold may have just wanted resources and did not intend for as many people to die, and that was out of his hands, because he was never fully there. Stanley ordered everyone what to do, disguised his whole mission that he knew was to kill people as an expedition, and did it all for fame, but Leopold just sat back and watched, as everything happened with him to blame.

857674_1 — 2025-04-24 14:50:32 UTC