In the summer of 2026, the film “Young Washington” from director Jon Erwin is set to release on the weekend of July 4. This film is about 22-year-old George Washington during the French and Indian War. I couldn’t help but wonder what this could mean for how Washington is perceived in popular culture, who has already been enshrined in U.S. culture as a deified figure.
When it comes to many historical figures, particularly those who lived before the invention of photography, of whom we only have paintings and sculptures of, there is a larger veil between us and them, thus making them easier to romanticize. We become more susceptible to the propaganda and portraits they left behind, because we don’t have real-life photographs to compare them to that ground these people in reality.
There are no real-time photographs of Napoleon Bonaparte. I can only see the numerous deified paintings of him created during his lifetime. It’s why we so often see historical conquerors like Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great being glorified, because of the extent of their empires, yet we are so aesthetically divided from these people we forget the costs of their endeavors. The devastating loss of life, suffering and destruction from these conquests is largely ignored in favor of imagining larger-than-life characters.
The romanization of historical figures can be seen as far back as the 19th century, with “the great man theory,” from Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle, who wrote, “No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” While this idea is considered outdated, it’s notable how this idea has subtly influenced the way we analyze and remember history.
While we can acknowledge the influence and accomplishments of historical figures, we must also understand some of the most famous people were often supported by or enforced systems that disfranchised and subjugated oppressed people. Some might admire Bonaparte’s military strategy, but it’s important to remember that the strategies used in the Napoleonic Wars ended up killing millions of people in brutal warfare.
Because we don’t have photographs of many historical figures, it leaves modern media such as biopics and musicals to fill our collective imagination of these times, and if we are not careful, it becomes as real as any historical archive or footage.
For example, the biographical musical “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda about founding father Alexander Hamilton, while an entertaining musical and a gateway into historical curiosity, unfortunately contributes to a glorification of these historical figures while trying to humanize them. We fall into the trap of viewing history as the accomplishments of a few great men, overlooking the contributions of women, the impoverished and neglected minorities.
Sometimes in our efforts to humanize “great men,” we unfortunately end up romanticizing them. We see Washington as a heroic figure in the musical. Audiences subconsciously might sweep Washington’s sins under the rug because of the character's likability, dismissing his enslavement of black people as “a product of its time.” Downplaying any historical evil as a “product of its time” trivializes the suffering of those affected, as well as diminishes any form of critical analysis of historical figures that informs us in the present. We end up seeing historical figures as “great people” who overcame their flaws, rather than people who achieved extraordinary things in some regard yet had profoundly abysmal moral failures.
So, what can we do? Instead of relying on media and paintings as our historical diet, we need to look into history for ourselves. We need to hold people who have been considered heroes to higher standards, to acknowledge those who were historically wronged by those in power and not dismiss their suffering.
We need to stop looking at history as a series of “great men,” but acknowledge history as a massive tapestry involving the contributions of a diverse cast of unsung heroes that have shaped the world, rather than the actions of a few, glorified “great men.”
David Asamoah is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to David about his column? Email him at da602024@ohio.edu.
