Hiram Bingham

Hiram Bingham was an American explorer, archaeologist, and politician who is best known for his discovery of the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru. He was a professor of South American history at Yale University and later became a United States Senator from Connecticut. Bingham's expeditions were sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History, and he was a member of the Explorers Club and the American Geographical Society. His discoveries were widely publicized in the New York Times and other newspapers, and he was hailed as a hero by the Peruvian government and the Inca people.

● Early Life and Education

Hiram Bingham was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Hiram Bingham I and Clara Brewster Bingham, who were Christian missionaries in Hawaii. He attended Punahou School in Honolulu and later studied at Yale University, where he earned a degree in history and became a member of the Skull and Bones Society. Bingham also studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Paris, where he earned a degree in archaeology and became interested in the Inca Empire and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. He was influenced by the works of William Prescott and Garcilaso de la Vega, and he became friends with other explorers and archaeologists, including Theodore Roosevelt and John Wesley Powell.

● Career

Bingham began his career as a professor of South American history at Yale University, where he taught courses on the Inca Empire and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. He became interested in the lost city of Vitcos and the Inca Trail, and he led several expeditions to Peru and Bolivia in search of Inca ruins. Bingham was a member of the American Historical Association and the American Anthropological Association, and he published several articles and books on the Inca Empire and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. He was also a friend and colleague of other historians and archaeologists, including Herbert Eugene Bolton and Alfred V. Kidder.

● Discovery of Machu Picchu

In 1911, Bingham led an expedition to Peru in search of the lost city of Vitcos, which was sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History. On July 24, 1911, Bingham and his team arrived at the Inca city of Machu Picchu, which was hidden away in the Andes Mountains. The discovery of Machu Picchu was a major archaeological find, and it was widely publicized in the New York Times and other newspapers. Bingham's discovery was hailed as one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, and it helped to establish him as a leading expert on the Inca Empire. He was praised by the Peruvian government and the Inca people, and he was awarded the Hubbard Medal by the National Geographic Society.

● Political Career

In 1922, Bingham was elected as a United States Senator from Connecticut, where he served for six years. He was a member of the Republican Party and he served on the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Commerce. Bingham was a strong supporter of the Pan American Union and the League of Nations, and he worked to promote United States interests in South America. He was also a friend and colleague of other politicians, including Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.

● Personal Life and Legacy

Bingham was married to Alfreda Mitchell, and they had seven children together. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and he was a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. Bingham's legacy as an explorer and archaeologist has endured long after his death, and he is still widely recognized as one of the most important figures in the history of South American archaeology. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the United States Army and the Order of the Sun by the Peruvian government. Bingham's discoveries and writings have been widely influential, and he has been praised by other historians and archaeologists, including John H. Rowe and Richard L. Burger.

● Expeditions and Publications

Bingham led several expeditions to Peru and Bolivia in search of Inca ruins, including the 1911 Peruvian Expedition and the 1912 Bolivian Expedition. He published several books and articles on the Inca Empire and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, including Inca Land and Lost City of the Incas. Bingham's writings were widely read and influential, and they helped to establish him as a leading expert on the Inca Empire. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, and he was awarded the Alexander Agassiz Medal by the National Academy of Sciences. Bingham's expeditions and publications have had a lasting impact on the field of South American archaeology, and he is still widely recognized as one of the most important figures in the history of the field. Category:Explorers