The truth always surfaces.
Some stories aren’t always what they seem; ultimately, the bit that was ignored is revealed. Even while some of these individuals were purely malevolent, others undoubtedly contributed to the development of modern civilization, which only serves to muddy our perceptions of them and the debate surrounding their legacies. Let’s look at 20 cases where, years after their passing, the dark side of some of history’s most revered and admired heroes was revealed.
1. Leopold II, King
He was credited with growing Belgium’s empire for many years. However, millions of people died from starvation and forced labor as a result of Leopold II’s private rule over the Congo Free State. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the truth came to light.
2. Gandhi Mahatma
Gandhi is revered around the world for his peaceful protests, yet his early writings from South Africa show a troubling tolerance of racial hierarchy. He advocated for Indians to be kept apart from Black South Africans in prisons and used disparaging language while speaking about them.
3. Winston Churchill
Following the revelation of classified records, his involvement in Britain’s colonial horrors became more apparent. The policies and contemptuous attitude of Churchill exacerbated the 1943 Bengal Famine, which claimed the lives of almost 3 million people. Scholars have only just adequately connected his choices to the humanitarian catastrophe.
4. Thomas Jefferson
Although many of Jefferson’s paradoxes are well known, they were overlooked for years in the public conversation. He held more than 600 individuals as slaves while writing about liberation. His link with his enslaved teen slave, Sally Hemings, was verified by DNA evidence.
5. Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, who has long been presented as a saintly caregiver, operated clinics where alleviating pain was occasionally exalted above suffering. Millions were donated to her order, but the facilities lacked even the most basic medical standards. It was only after her death that Terasa’s ties to authoritarian rulers and her lack of financial openness were revealed.
6. Andrew Jackson
Few American presidents have impacted the country’s identity so violently. Jackson put the Indian Removal Act into effect, but it wasn’t until his passing that the Trail of Tears’ full horrors—forcible relocations and entire communities destroyed under military pressure—became widely known.
7. Fritz Haber
He used synthetic fertilizer to save billions of dollars, but he also used chemical as a weapon to kill people in conflict. During World War I, Haber invented poison gas for Germany, a technique that was quickly outlawed. Among other personal and professional conflicts, his work on chemical weapons may have contributed to his wife’s death.
8. Marie Stopes
An advocate for birth control? Of course. A vociferous eugenicist, too. For individuals she considered “unfit,” including those with impairments, Stopes promoted sterilization. She took her son’s name out of her will because he married a woman who wore spectacles, which is a strange scenario.
