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Robert E Lee Essay

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Robert E. Lee, Confederate hero or failure?
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Robert E. Lee, Confederate General of the Confederacy. 1

As the Civil War drew to an end, former Confederate General Robert E. Lee returned home to Virginia with failure on his shoulders. Yet, the Southerners were not disappointed. He amazingly fought for the Confederacy, and was recognized as a hero. The man wanted to change the United States and bring equality for the country.6 But his voice was never heard above the din of war.

When the young Confederate was born on January 19, 1807, he loved his home state of Virginia. Lee’s family consisted of a politically powerful father and powerful uncles, which gave him a head start.1 …show more content…

He wanted to take the offensive and break the Union’s will to fight. George McClellan was also supposed to win the election, but they ended up losing. This was one of the most terrible losses for the Confederacy because they had now lost the election and the battle. Lee chose to blame it on himself.

In 1865, Richmond, Virginia fell, and the Confederates were scattered. Lee and the Confederates retreated westward, but they were cut off by Union troops. They were surrounded at Appomattox Courthouse, and Lee had no choice but to surrender. Devastated, he surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant and the Union.

After the Civil War ended, Lee became a private citizen, but wasn’t allowed to become an official citizen or take office. He was never an official citizen until 1975.

Despite its loss, the South admired Lee very much. He taught soldiers to accept the results of the war, and became president of the Washington College. There, he taught students about rebuilding the United States and leadership.6

On October 12, 1870, Lee died of a stroke. He became a “charismatic symbol of honor and sacrifice” in the South. Lee was known as a military genius and a titan of personal virtue. He even wanted a racially organized society.

Statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, …show more content…

Gallagher, Gary W. “Robert E. Lee.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Jan. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-E-Lee.

2. History.com Editors. “Robert E. Lee.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/robert-e-lee.

3. Keller, Christian. “The Partnership of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson (Great Captains).” War Room - U.S. Army War College, 10 Nov. 2020, warroom.armywarcollege.edu/special-series/great-captains/partnership-lee-jackson-great-captains/.
4. “Memorialization of Robert E. Lee and the Lost Cause.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/memorialization-of-robert-e-lee-and-the-lost-cause.htm.

5. Patel, Vimal. “Virginia Supreme Court Clears Path for Removal of Robert E. Lee Statue.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/us/robert-e-lee-statue-removal-virginia.html.

6. Pryor, Elizabeth. "Robert E. Lee (1807–1870)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (20 Apr. 2022). Web. 30 Jan. 2023

7. Woodworth, Steven E. "Lee, Robert E." World Book Student, World Book, 2023, www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar317720. Accessed 30 Jan.

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