Self-Made Man

Synonyms

Autodidact; Entrepreneur; Pioneer

Being a Self-Made Man

Whether described as a “great man” or a “man of genius,” the self-made man represents the archetype of successful men – and more and more women – who start from low stations in life, with poor educational backgrounds, and climb the social ladder to become key figures in society.

Origins of the Myth: The Roots of the “American Dream”

Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and a leader of the abolitionist movement, provided the first definition of the “self-made man” in a lecture in 1859 (Douglass 1955). This new man, based on the Roman idea of “novus homo,” played a prevalent role in public life. Preceding Douglass, Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers, was one of the best-known examples of a self-made man. His autobiography described his rise from working-class origins to his life as a powerful inventor, businessman, and politician (Franklin 1793). Abraham Lincoln also captured the public imagination,...