From Pocahontas to Al Capone: 9 historical figures who had a completely different opinion during their lifetime

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Over time, public perceptions of famous people change. The reasons for this may be different: new information about these people appears, some myths about them change significantly, etc. In some cases, if you listen to what was said about a person once and now, it seems that these are two different people.

1. Pocahontas

The savior of one of the early American explorers, John Smith, who was wanted to be executed by her tribe in 1608. She is believed to have facilitated a temporary truce between the Native Americans and their English conquerors. Her act was also a symbol of how it was possible to "negotiate" with the Indians and live safely in America.

There is ample evidence that, despite the fact that she is considered a "heroic savior", Pocahontas distinguished herself solely by becoming the first Indian woman to marry a European. Then she was just an ambassador between Britain and America. The girl converted to Christianity and the name Rebecca Rolf before traveling to the British Isles with her husband John. And John Smith, who was allegedly saved by Pocahontas, told the world his story only 16 years after it happened. By that time, Pocahontas had died after contracting smallpox. Such a dramatic event would surely have been known earlier if it were true.

2. Confucius

The famous ancient thinker and philosopher who systematized knowledge about Chinese cults and religions in his teachings, known as "Lun-Yu". His wisdom has influenced generations of people for millennia, and Confucius is still revered throughout the world.

He was not a successful teacher. Confucius spent many years wandering between fiefdoms in search of a wealthy patron. Despite the fact that some "those in power" appreciated his ideas, during the life of the philosopher there was no smell of Confucianism. Confucius was so careless with the records of his teachings that he personally did not write anything in "Lun-Yu" … everything was done by his students. Legend has it that the reason everyone knows Confucius today is a fluke that happened centuries after his death in 479 BC. "Lunyu" was an unknown treatise until one of the emperors was delirious to destroy all the books on philosophy. During this purge, a copy of Lunyu was hidden in the wall. It was found 60 years after the death of the emperor, when the new ruler was much more tolerant of philosophical writings.

3. King John Landless

One of the worst rulers in British history. King John was so terrible that the nobles forced him to sign Magna Carta in 1215. His current image was best portrayed in the Disney version of Robin Hood - a whimpering greedy Lion.

Modern historians suggest that King John was a much better ruler than his reputation suggests. He was once known as a generous man to the poor, who forgave debts if his subjects could not pay as a result of losses from uprisings (which were not uncommon during the reign of John). He was also praised for his talent as a commander and for his humane attitude towards prisoners of war. The main reason why only bad things remained in the story of the king is that John was ultimately removed from power (therefore, his enemies began to write only negative things about the former king). He also fell out with the clergy by taxing the church.

4. King Solomon

Basically, he is known as a wise ruler. One of the most famous events of his reign was the demonstration of the king's discernment about human nature. Two women came to Solomon, each of whom claimed to be the mother of a child. Solomon advised cutting the child in half. A real mother abandoned her child so as not to harm him.

He was a terrible tyrant who did not value people. To build himself a luxurious palace, imitating the pharaohs of Egypt, he enslaved many Jews, sending them to construction sites.

5. Joseph Stalin

A dictator who, in terms of his atrocities, is compared to Adolf Hitler, which he committed during his reign. By some estimates, his "purges" led to more deaths than the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question" of the Third Reich. Stalin's decision to separate Eastern Europe with an "iron curtain" led to the fact that the Soviet Union was closed from the rest of the world for decades.

During his reign (even despite the notorious "purges"), Stalin was loved by the Soviet people. The population of the USSR for the most part did not blame Stalin at all for atrocities and repressions. When he died, panic reigned in Moscow, many people were at a loss "how can you go without a leader."

6. Alexander the Great

A genius in terms of military affairs, administration and philosophy. After all, he was a student of Aristotle. It was he who found a way to "untangle" the Gordian knot. Napoleon Bonaparte deeply admired Alexander's talent.

Many of the things Alexander did during his conquests look terrible. After he conquered the city of Tire, he crucified 2,000 people. In addition, he sold most of the women into slavery. In the city of Gaza, he tied the garrison commander to his chariot and set the horses at full speed. Even when he captured the Persian capital of Persepolis, which surrendered peacefully, massacres began, and again all the women were sold into slavery. Alexander did much to alienate even his most loyal followers. After the failed conquest of India, he sent his army home across the coastal desert. He argued that this is a punishment for them for the fact that the soldiers failed to capture another country. During this march, two thirds of the troops were killed.

7. Gregor Mendel

He is considered the father of genetic research. Mendel's work is also widely praised for confirming and explaining the ways in which evolution took place. Not to mention how genetics helped increase crop yields, which saved many lives.

He was the abbot of a monastery in Austria-Hungary. At that time, Mendel's work with genetics was completely misunderstood and was not taken seriously by anyone. Instead, Mendel made a name for himself by working as a monk, and was eventually elected abbot in 1868. It was only ten years after Mendel's death in 1884 that his genetic research was first seriously paid attention to.

8. Jeanne d'Arc

A national heroine who had a vision from God to become a soldier and lead France to a miraculous victory. On the eve of her execution, she claimed before an English court that she had never killed anyone, even in the midst of a battle. Jeanne was made a saint 489 years after her execution.

Despite the legend, Joan of Arc herself boasted of her feats of arms, telling how she broke her sword against the enemy. So she is not "white and fluffy" at all, despite her services to France.

9. Al Capone

One of the worst thugs of the underworld who rose to the top thanks to the liquor trade. People today believe fictional stories like Al Capone killing someone with a bat at the table during lunch.

While there is no doubt that Capone was the cause of many deaths, he was not a monster. After the stock market collapsed in 1929, he donated clothing and other goods to impoverished people. He also opened a kitchen in Chicago, where soup was distributed free of charge to everyone. Some newspapers argued that Capone did more for poor Chicago than the US government. In a 1927 survey of Chicago college students, Al Capone was named one of the ten most outstanding people in the world.