John Lloyd Stephens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Lloyd Stephens
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John Lloyd Stephens portrait published in 1854
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| Born | November 28, 1805 |
| Died | October 13, 1852 (aged 46) |
| Resting place | New York City Marble Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Columbia College Litchfield Law School |
| Occupation | Explorer Attorney Railroad executive Author |
| Known for | Exploration of Mexico and Central America, including descriptions of Maya sites |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Panama Railroad Company |
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John Lloyd Stephens (born November 28, 1805 – died October 13, 1852) was an American explorer, writer, and diplomat. He played a very important role in finding the ancient Maya cities again in Central America. He also helped plan the Panama Railroad.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Lloyd Stephens was born on November 28, 1805. His hometown was Shrewsbury, New Jersey. His father, Benjamin Stephens, was a successful merchant. His mother, Clemence Lloyd, was the daughter of a well-known judge.
When John was one year old, his family moved to New York City. He studied classic subjects like ancient Greek and Roman history. He went to two private schools. At age 13, he started at Columbia College. He finished his studies four years later in 1822. He was one of the best students in his class.
After college, he studied law for a year. Then he went to the Litchfield Law School. He passed his law exam and became a lawyer. He worked in New York City.
In 1834, Stephens began a long trip. He traveled through Europe, then went to Egypt and the Middle East. He returned home in 1836. Later, he wrote popular books about his adventures.
In 1841, Stephens became a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a group that promotes useful knowledge.
Stephens and Politics
In 1837, some people suggested Stephens for a job. They wanted him to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands. However, President Martin Van Buren chose someone else for the job.
In 1846, Stephens was chosen to be a delegate. This meant he represented his area at a special meeting. This meeting was about changing the state's rules, or constitution. Stephens helped create a new type of court. It was a "conciliation court," which is like a small claims court. This court helps people solve small problems without a big trial.
Discovering Ancient Maya Cities
Stephens was very interested in old stories. He read about ruined cities in Mesoamerica. Writers and explorers like Alexander von Humboldt had written about them.
In 1839, President Martin Van Buren gave Stephens a special job. He became a Special Ambassador to Central America. While he was there, a civil war broke out. The government of the Federal Republic of Central America fell apart. Stephens later wrote a book about what he saw. It was called Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatán.
Exploring with Frederick Catherwood
Stephens traveled with his friend, Frederick Catherwood. Catherwood was an architect and artist. They first found Maya ruins at Copán. This was after they arrived in British Honduras (now Belize). They were amazed by what they saw. They spent two weeks at Copán, making maps of the site.
Stephens first thought that a lost, unknown people built the city. He couldn't imagine that the native Mayans built such grand places. But Catherwood noticed something important. He saw that the faces carved in the ruins looked like the modern Maya people. Stephens even bought the city of Copán for $50! He dreamed of moving it to museums in the United States.
They continued their journey to other Maya sites. These included Palenque, Quiriguá, and Uxmal. They reached Palenque on May 11, 1840. They stayed there until early June. While at Palenque, they recorded many important buildings. These included the Temple of the Inscriptions and the Temple of the Cross.
They went back to Yucatán in October 1841. They continued to explore Maya ruins. Stephens's book says they visited 44 Maya sites. Some of these were Mayapan, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza. At Uxmal, they documented the Governor's House and the Pyramid of the Magician. Catherwood also drew a famous picture of a well at Bolonchén.
Impact of Their Discoveries
Catherwood's detailed drawings and prints were very important. They clearly showed that the Maya people built these amazing cities. They created beautiful art and smart designs. Besides large buildings, they made stone and plaster sculptures. They also created frescoes, painted pottery, and wood carvings.
Because of their explorations, Stephens and Catherwood proved something important. They showed that the Mayans themselves built these ancient Central American cities. Before this, some people thought that groups from Europe or Asia had built them.
Stephens's books even inspired the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe. Poe wrote reviews of three of Stephens's books.
Building the Panama Railroad
At this time, England had control over ocean travel to and from the United States. Stephens wanted to change this. He got permission from New York State to start a shipping company. It was called the Ocean Steam Navigation Company. This company bought two steamships, the Washington and the Hermann. These ships traveled to Europe.
In 1849, the Panama Railroad Company was started. Stephens was chosen to be its Vice President. He traveled to Panama and New Granada (now Colombia). His job was to arrange for the railroad tracks to be laid.
On his way to Bogotá, the capital of New Granada, he had an accident. He fell off his mule and was badly hurt. He never fully recovered from these injuries. He returned to the United States. Later, he was made President of the railroad company.
While in Panama, he became very sick with malaria in the spring of 1852. He got well enough to go back to New York. But the disease came back. John Lloyd Stephens died on October 13, 1852. He was buried at the New York City Marble Cemetery.
Stephens is the subject of several books. These include Maya Explorer by Victor Wolfgang von Hagen (1947) and Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen (2016).
See also
In Spanish: John Lloyd Stephens para niños
