21 Once-Glorified Historical Figures Whose Actions Are Now Scrutinized and Criticized
Due to the advancements in technology and media, information is widely available to everyone. Many actions or policies by historical figures that were once celebrated have now been criticized. Different perspectives are accessible to people at the click of their fingers. Here are 21 once-glorified historical figures whose actions are now criticized.
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Coco Chanel
Chanel has become the epitome of high fashion and is widely used by numerous influential personalities. However, the brand’s founder, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, had a very interesting life punctuated with questionable affiliations. She was a Nazi sympathizer and supported the Germans during World War II when they took over France. She was in a romantic relationship with a German officer named Baron Hans Günther von Dinklage and suspended deals with most of her Jewish partners.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, or Saint Teresa of Calcutta, holds an extraordinary place, especially in the hearts of people experiencing poverty in Kolkata, India. Her good deeds have been acknowledged, and she is responsible for educating, saving, and treating the underprivileged. However, she is criticized by many for the substandard quality of care in her nursing homes alongside forced conversions. Even her organization, The Missionaries of Charity, has been scrutinized for false accounting, which makes her public image questionable.
Christopher Columbus
The first adventurer we learned about in school was Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. However, Columbus is responsible for the death of over a hundred thousand Indians, mistreating and enslaving natives alongside kidnapping and raping women. He tricked the uneducated inhabitants of Jamaica into giving him their food by making them believe the red moon, which was an eclipse, signaled the wrath of God.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, widely known for his contributions to the Declaration of Independence, may not have been the hero you imagined. It was revealed that despite his efforts to abolish slavery and advocacy for liberty, Jefferson owned over 600 enslaved people. The darker aspect of this was that he had children and raised them with an enslaved person named Sally Hemmings. His writings and notes reflect a sense of white supremacy, making Jefferson’s life and character very complex.
Winston Churchill
There are statues of Winston Churchill all over the United Kingdom, but many are unaware of his cruel deeds and judgments on Indians. Churchill, whose leadership was celebrated for Britain’s victory in World War II, used many Indian citizens to promise them their freedom. Moreover, his policies and actions led to the 1943 Bengal famine, during which parents had to sell their children for food. His belief in racial hierarchy and white supremacy makes him a villain in the eyes of all the countries he has oppressed.
Elvis Presley
Several people love Elvis Presley for his incredible singing. Unfortunately, a lot of people are unaware of his dark side, which involves sexual interactions with minors and domestic abuse. He eloped with his future wife, Priscilla, when she was just 14, and when he was 24 years old, he took her on tours without any guilt. Not to mention, Priscilla wasn’t the only minor; Elvis had relations with three more fourteen-year-olds, as Joel Williamson would describe it, “for pillow fights, tickling, kissing and cuddling.”
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is celebrated for navigating through the American Civil War and emancipating black people from slavery. However, he is criticized for being a hypocrite who believed that white people were superior to black people. His debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858 prove he was not an abolitionist. Rather, he used emancipation as a mere military tactic to involve the blacks in fighting for him.
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison’s inventions lit up our rooms and gave us the motion picture camera, but these do not make up for his unethical practices. While his scientific discoveries about the lightbulb may be questioned, Edison’s behavior towards other scientists, especially Nikola Tesla, was not appreciated. He discredited his fellow competitors and filed lawsuits against them while he was accused of stealing the ideas of others.
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanity and philosophy of “Reverence for Life” in 1952. After achieving his medical degree in 1912, Schweitzer, at his own expense, visited Africa and worked for the people. Even though his medical contributions are celebrated, he is often scrutinized for his paternalistic attitude. In simple words, he treated the Africans as children who were immature and considered them to be inferior to him. He told them to treat him as “brother, elder brother” and thought their independence came too early.
Henry Ford
The next time you drive your Ford vehicles, make sure to remember that Henry Ford had a complex and controversial legacy revolving around anti-Semitism. He published a series of anti-Semitic articles in his newspaper, Dearborn Independent, which labeled Jews as the leading cause of suffering. He claimed that they brought ill to the society, which led to the Nazi regime praising Ford and bestowing him with an award.
Woodrow Wilson
The 28th US president, Woodrow Wilson’s brainchild, the League of Nations, failed terribly. However, his policy was racist, which included his support for racial segregation and screening out black people. He supported white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, reversing all the advancements made in favor of black people.
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was a prominent figure in India’s freedom struggle, popularly known as the ‘Father of the Nation’. With values such as ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha, he guided India and others to independence. Nonetheless, Gandhi was scrutinized for his overwhelming support of the Muslim League, which eventually led to the partition of India. This appeasement policy made other communities feel their voice was not amplified and lashed Gandhi’s favoritism even among politicians.
Charlie Chaplin
Known for revolutionizing cinema with his silent films, Charlie Chaplin is loved by children and adults for his hysterical comedy. However, it would kill your childhood joy knowing that Charlie Chapin had relationships with minors when he was over 30 years old. His personal life is scrutinized for marrying 16-year-old Lita Grey and dating her before that. He was already 35 years old.
Charles Dickens
One would imagine writers are calm and composed people who channel their creativity through words. This was not the case with Charles Dickens, famous for his best-selling novels, ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’. He used to abuse his wife domestically, Catherine, and spread rumors about her that she had gone insane. Moreover, he even cheated on her with Ellen Ternan, a young actress who had just begun her acting career. These claims, coupled with many racist comments in his novels, put him under scrutiny.
Aristotle
Everyone knows about the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle and his wise words regardless of your profession or nature. Unfortunately, not all his philosophical thoughts are celebrated, especially the ones against women. According to Aristotle, “Anatomy is Destiny ” for a woman, claiming she was inferior and had to be governed. He is criticized by many feminist scholars who oppose this patriarchal and misogynistic view.
Miles Davis
In the jazz world, Miles Davis is hailed as a pioneer and profound composer, having best-selling albums such as ‘Kind of Blue” and “Bitches Brew.” His style, coupled with his innovation, made him a loved artist among fans and in the industry alike. In contemporary times, Davis faces criticism for his treatment of women and allegations of domestic abuse. His relationship with other artists in the industry was also not pleasant; they claimed he had anger issues.
King Leopold II
The efforts of King Leopold II were once celebrated for the development and modernization of Belgium. His policy and reforms in the Congo Free State aimed at expanding his influence and bringing Belgium on the global stage. The darker side of his reign saw ruthless massacre, brutality, and forced labor practices, which killed millions of Congolese. King Leopold II treated Congo as his private enterprise, mining and chipping away its natural resources.
Nelson Mandela
Even though Nelson Mandela gained international acclaim for his activism and efforts to free South Africa from the rule of apartheid, he is criticized for a few reasons. First and foremost, his repetitive efforts of appeasement towards apartheid supporters are disliked by many, failing to which he started urging violence. While his embrace of armed resistance faded, his government did not solve any poverty issues.
J Edgar Hoover
The FBI was nurtured and made into one of the strongest units under its first director, J Edgar Hoover, who took the position in 1935 until his death. With power comes great responsibility, but Hoover did not justify some of his actions, for which he is criticized to this day. Some of these were COINTELPRO programs that targeted politicians and aimed at undermining civil liberty. Another such attempt was when he tried to discredit Martin Luther King Jr.
Che Guevara
Che Guevara was a famous revolutionary who was praised by many for his role in the Cuban Revolution. This does not erase the fact that Guevara only cared about his interests without countless speeches showing his racist and homophobic traits. Guevara openly used violent methods to suppress anyone who opposed him, resulting in the mass murders and deaths of his workers.
John Lennon
The legacy of John Lennon, the co-founder of Beetles, still lives in our hearts, leaving a profound impact on pop culture. His assassination in 1980 shocked everyone and brought remorse, while others justified this as his karma. He openly admitted to hitting women to discipline them, his first wife Cynthia being a prime example. He slapped her in public multiple times and showed no concern for his son, Julian. Instead, he was involved in other relationships simultaneously, making him an awful role model.
