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The way we view the past is shaped by the present. As societal attitudes and values shift over time, the legacies of historical figures change as they are reevaluated. Some of these changes are dramatic - individuals once viewed positively have had darker aspects of their past come to light. For others, the reverse is true; those who were reviled and divisive in their own lives enjoy a resurgence in popularity after their passing.
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One man's hero is another man's villain, and sometimes all it takes is time
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History has a funny way of turning certain heroes into villains, and vice versa
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from commanders-in-chief to forgotten has-beens. An unpredictable legacy comes for us all
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So today, we're taking a deep dive into some of the world's most beloved leaders and historical figures
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and how these people's reputations have evolved or eroded over time. All right, let's put some folks under the microscope
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As much as Lincoln's memory has been venerated in the decades after his assassination
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in his own time, he was one of the most polarizing political figures
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Despite not even being on the ballot in the southern states, he won the presidency in a four-way contest in the 1860 election
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Upon his election, seven states announced their secession from the Union, which ultimately triggered the outbreak of the Civil War
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As a wartime president, Lincoln endured fractious relationships with generals who chafed under his instructions
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and politicians who accused him of overstepping his executive boundaries. The suspension of habeas corpus
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was an example of his willingness to use heavy-handed tactics to see the war through
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He remained unsure of his re-election in 1864, but some timely military successes
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helped to swing the campaign in his favor. He won a decisive victory
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but would not get the opportunity to see through his plans for reconstruction after the conflict
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While his sudden end was a major blow to post-war rebuilding, it did help to craft his legendary historical legacy
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Lincoln was to be remembered for eternity as the president who freed the slaves and kept the Union together
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His name became synonymous with freedom, and he continues to be remembered as one of the greatest American presidents, if not the greatest
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It was no coincidence that Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech was delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial
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To some scholars and civil rights leaders, Lincoln didn't quite live up to his heroic billing
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Rather, they claimed he was a bigoted moderate who reluctantly took up the mantle of the great emancipator
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Other interpretations recognize his limitations on race from a modern perspective, but understand the magnitude of his actions and character
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In 2005, a little-known law professor named Barack Obama said of Lincoln
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As a law professor and a civil rights lawyer and as an African American, I am fully aware of his limited views on race
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Anyone who actually reads the Emancipation Proclamation knows it was more a military document than a clarion call for justice
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Scholars tell us, too, that Lincoln wasn't immune from political considerations and that his temperament could be indecisive and morose
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But it is precisely those imperfections and the painful self-awareness of those failings etched in every crease of his face
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and reflected in those haunted eyes that make him so compelling Ha Wonder what that Obama guy ended up doing There were many Cleopatras in history but only one is truly synonymous with the name
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Cleopatra VII was the last member of the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt for 300 years
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Her 39 years had all the ingredients needed for historical immortality, intrigue, romantic entanglements
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and a tragic end. The Roman view of Cleopatra was of a toxic seductress whose lust for power and wealth presented a dire threat to the stability
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of Rome. In the immediate aftermath of her passing, Octavian, the victor of the last war
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of the Roman Republic, was only too keen to tarnish her reputation. Her infamy grew in the
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wake of her passing with a series of wild claims from Roman writers about her sexual proclivities
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and lavish lifestyle. Cassius Dio's assessment was one of the more restrained accounts of the
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Egyptian queen. Cleopatra was of insatiable passion and insatiable avarice. Her dramatic
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story proved to be an irresistible artistic inspiration during the Renaissance period
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Many of the myths propagated by the Romans were amplified by artists and playwrights in the late
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Middle Ages. In the Victorian era, notable for its fascination with ancient Egypt, her popularity
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soared. Some 20th century filmmakers were also drawn to her story. The 1963 epic starring Elizabeth
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Taylor is perhaps the most iconic of the dozens of depictions of Cleopatra shown on the screen
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to date. More recently, feminist interpretations of Cleopatra have offered a different view
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of one of history's most iconic female rulers. A polyglot who had unusually mastered the tongue
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of her subjects, she was a fiercely independent, intelligent, and capable ruler who successfully
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kept the peace in her kingdom for several years. Alexander's premature demise ensured his empire
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would fracture into many smaller parts, but also guaranteed a mythological legacy
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He perished at the height of his power, long before the endless responsibility
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of actually running such a vast empire may have inevitably crushed him
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His successors were all men of great talent, but none could emulate Alexander
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He wasn't universally admired in his lifetime. His cruel accesses on his campaigns and lust for power
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alienated his friends and galvanized his enemies. The mysterious circumstances of his demise
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were likely caused by foul play. His family members were all eliminated
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in the aftermath of his passing. His only legitimate son was slain on the orders of Cassandros
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a hated contemporary of Alexander's. He was regarded as a heroic conqueror by the Romans
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Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus were noted admirers. Alexander's Egyptian tomb became a major tourist destination
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of the ancient world. His campaigns had been studied extensively by military leaders for thousands of years with Napoleon rating him as history greatest commander While his empire proved to be short the cultural impact of Alexander conquest had a profound impact on the area for centuries
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Although seen in his own time as a drunken tyrant, his indisputably enormous historical impact continues to draw interest and admirers
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From humble beginnings, the man history would remember as Genghis Khan rose to unite the Mongol tribes into an unstoppable force that carved out a gigantic empire
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His remarkable life had an enormous impact on the course of history that is still felt today
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An astonishing one in 200 men can tie their ancestry directly to Genghis Khan
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Where's Maury Povich when you need him? Contemporary accounts of him are few
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The Secret History of the Mongols is an anonymous Mongolian account that tells his life story
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Another less sympathetic account comes from the Persian scholar who served in the Mongol court
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Called The History of the World Conqueror, it spares no detail in recording the wanton
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violence and destruction of the Mongols, but it also acknowledges the wisdom and innovation of
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the leaders. Renaissance writers tended to view Genghis Khan favorably as a wise and noble leader
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but the civic achievements of the Mongols were largely forgotten by the time of the Enlightenment
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Genghis Khan represented the stereotypical bloodthirsty barbarian and destroyer of civilization to writers like Voltaire
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The same European intellectuals who lauded Alexander the Great did not hold Genghis Khan in the same regard
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In more recent years, a better understanding of Genghis Khan and the Mongols has emerged in the Western world
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He was and remains a national hero in Mongolia, while the views of the peoples conquered by his army aren't quite so favorable
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Far removed by time from the atrocities committed during the conquests, historians have been able to take a more detached view of the seismic historical impact of the Mongols
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Perhaps the greatest of all was the revival of the Silk Road under Mongol rule
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where merchants traveled safely across the vast empire, ushering in an era of economic and cultural prosperity
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Now, there's a dark web thingy called Silk Road, but you can't blame Genghis Khan for that
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Can you? Winston Churchill was a deeply controversial figure in his own time
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His leading role in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign during World War I
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almost sunk his political career before it took off. He gained notoriety for changing political parties not once, but twice
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In 1904, he crossed the aisle from the conservatives to the liberals, before rejoining the conservatives again in 1924
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In the 1930s, he was one of the few outspoken critics of appeasement of Germany
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an unpopular view that saw him sidelined politically. He also opposed Irish Home Rule and greater autonomy for India Even in the 1930s his imperialist views were considered behind the times After World War II broke out Churchill assumed the role of prime minister
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during the bleak days of May 1940. And despite emerging from the great struggle victorious
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the British people voted him out of office less than two months after the war's conclusion
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though he made one last comeback as prime minister from 1951 through 1955
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In the years immediately after his passing at age 90 in 1965
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he was lauded as a national hero who guided Britain through its darkest days in World War II
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Churchill's legacy was bolstered by his own hand, as he was a prolific writer who penned a six-volume history of the war
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While generally well regarded for his wartime leadership, his historical reputation has been tainted by his complicity in the Bengal famine in 1943 and his racist views
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More recent assessments of Churchill tend to be more nuanced, accepting the importance of his role in World War II without excusing his flaws
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Napoleon's last campaign was one of his most successful. Not the 100 days in 1815 that led to his final defeat at Waterloo
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but his final years spent rebuilding his reputation while in exile at St. Helena
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He turned his considerable talents toward crafting a legacy that would outlive him
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In his own lifetime, he was considered a tyrant and war monker by his many enemies
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and subject to some misleading propaganda about his short stature. He was of average height for the time
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But Napoleon's memoirs were published shortly after his passing and presented his career in a favorable light
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The book's spectacular success, one of the 19th century's best-selling works, helped craft a sympathetic legend of the Frenchman
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As well as being recognized as one of history's most accomplished generals, Napoleon's most enduring legacy was the comprehensive legal framework dubbed, unsurprisingly, the Napoleonic Code
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The overhaul of the archaic French legal system spread far beyond France and was adopted by several other nations, and its influence is still apparent in the present
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One of the most controversial aspects of his reign was the decision to reestablish slavery in the Caribbean in 1802, reversing the 1794 abolition law
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The move sparked rebellion in Guadeloupe and Haiti. The latter succeeded, despite the massive expedition launched by the French to retake the colony
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For many, he remained the quintessential villain to be used to discredit political rivals
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The French perception of Napoleon is mixed. French political figures have typically been wary of invoking Napoleon's memory in public life
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In 2005, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy chose not to commemorate the 200th anniversary
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of Napoleon's coronation as emperor. Conversely, current French President Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath at Napoleon's tomb on
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the 200th anniversary of his passing, saying, he is part of us