Skip to main content

Overrated & Underrated

July 2024
1min read

Is the great Orson Welles possibly not all that great? Is there something coarse and generic about one of our most beloved war memorials? Which of our Founding Fathers deserves better of us? Which of our painters? For the eighth year in a row historians and journalists assess the ever-shifting reputations of people and events, and once again affirm that history is never history—that it is the most volatile, passionate, and living of pursuits.

African-American Comedian Baseball Statistic Celebrity Trial Children’s Book Writer Conspiracy Theory Crooner Director Football Coach Founding Father Historical Museum Lincoln Speech Movie Classic Naval Battle “Old West” State Painter Soft Drink Spy War Memorial Western Figure

Enjoy our work? Help us keep going.

Now in its 75th year, American Heritage relies on contributions from readers like you to survive. You can support this magazine of trusted historical writing and the volunteers that sustain it by donating today.

Donate