A Message to Garcia: An Elbert Hubbard Classic

A Message to Garcia is a best-selling inspirational essay written in 1899 by Elbert Hubbard that has been made into two motion pictures. It was the first of a series of essays on business problems, which, when placed in the proper hands, have helped to lighten the burden on the businessman’s shoulders. It was originally published as a filler without a title in the March, 1899 issue of the Philistine magazine which he edited, but was quickly reprinted as a pamphlet and a book. It was wildly popular, selling over 40 million copies, and being translated into 37 languages. It also became a well-known allusion in American popular and business culture until the middle of the twentieth century. According to language expert Charles Earle Funk, “to take a message to Garcia” was for years a popular American slang expression for taking initiative and was used by many people who were unaware of its origins.