abstract:The history of Belgium stretches back before the origin of the modern state of that name in 1830. Belgium's history is intertwined with those of its neighbours: the Netherlands, Germany, France and Luxembourg.
While a few institutions in the U.S. had collected some African objects beginning in the late 19th century, the American Museum of Natural History acquired a large group in 1907 from Belgium's King Leopold II (infamous for his treatment of the Congo).
Jackson's statement that a doctor was at his bedside when he woke up the day of a scheduled "HIStory" show in Belgium is not the only evidence he did have a physician on the tour.