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Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, toward the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Northern Virginia —the Confederacy's most powerful army—from 1862 until its surrender in 1865, earning a ...
- 1829–1861 (U.S.), 1861–1865 (C.S.)
Mar 21, 2024 · Robert E. Lee (born January 19, 1807, Stratford Hall, Westmoreland county, Virginia, U.S.—died October 12, 1870, Lexington, Virginia) was a U.S. Army officer (1829–61), Confederate general (1861–65), college president (1865–70), and central figure in contending memory traditions of the American Civil War.
- What was Robert E. Lee’s family like?On both sides, Robert E. Lee’s family had produced many of the dominant figures in the ruling class of Virginia. His father, Col. Henry (“Light-Hor...
- What was Robert E. Lee’s childhood like?Robert E. Lee’s father’s financial mismanagement left Lee, his mother, and his siblings in circumstances that rendered them less wealthy than the p...
- Why is Robert E. Lee significant?Robert E. Lee commanded the Army of Northern Virginia, the most successful of the Southern armies during the American Civil War, and ultimately com...
- What was Robert E. Lee’s occupation after leaving the military?Robert E. Lee spent several months recuperating from the Civil War and then, in 1865, became the president of Washington College (later Washington...
- Should statues of Robert E. Lee be taken down?Whether statues of Robert E. Lee or other controversial people should be taken down is widely debated. Some argue the statues misrepresent history...
- Who Was Robert E. Lee?
- Quick Facts
- Early Years
- Wife and Children
- Early Military Career
- Robert E. Lee and Slavery
- Confederate Leader
- Final Years and Death
- Disputed Legacy and Statue
- Robert E. Lee in Movies
Robert E. Lee became military prominence during the U.S. Civil War, commanding his home state's armed forces and becoming general-in-chief of the Confederate troops toward the end of the conflict. Though the Union won the war, Lee earned renown as a military tactician for scoring several significant victories on the battlefield. He became president...
FULL NAME: Robert Edward Lee BORN: January 19, 1807 DIED: October 12, 1870 BIRTHPLACE: Stratford, Virginia SPOUSE: Mary Custis (1831-1870) CHILDREN: George Washington Custis, William “Rooney,” Robert Jr, Mary, Anne, Eleanor Agnes, and Mildred ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn
A Confederate general who led southern forces against the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War, Robert Edward Lee was born on Jan. 19, 1807, at his family home of Stratford Hall in northeastern Virginia. Lee was cut from Virginia aristocracy. His extended family members included a president, a United States chief justice, and signers of the Declaration...
After graduating from West Point, Lee married Mary Custis, the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington (from her first marriage before meeting George Washington) in 1831. The couple wed on Mary Custis’s family plantation in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. They would make the estate their primary home for the next 30 years. In 18...
While Mary and the children spent their lives on Mary's father's plantation, Lee stayed committed to his military obligations. His loyalties moved him around the country, from Savannah to St. Louis to New York. In 1846, Lee got the chance he had been waiting for his whole military career when the United States went to war with Mexico. Serving under...
Lee did not own slaves in his youth, but he and Mary Custis Lee inherited enslaved people from both his mother and her father, and it’s believed Lee himself owned between 10-15 enslaved people during his lifetime. His racial attitudes reflected much of his background, and while he wroteto Mary about the moral and political evils of slavery, he held...
In October 1859, Lee was summoned to put an end to an enslaved person insurrection led by John Brownat Harper's Ferry. Lee's orchestrated attack took just an hour to end the revolt, and his success put him on a shortlist of names to lead the Union Army should the nation go to war. But Lee's commitment to the Army was superseded by his commitment to...
Saved from being hanged as a traitor by a forgiving Lincoln and Grant, Lee returned to his family in April 1865. He eventually accepted a job as president of Washington College in western Virginia and devoted his efforts toward boosting the institution's enrollment and financial support. In late September 1870, Lee suffered a massive stroke. He die...
In the decades after the Civil War, sympathizers regarded Lee as a heroic figure of the South. Several monuments to the late general sprung up before the end of the 19th century, notably in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas. Lee’s birthday is commemorated in several southern states. Until 2020, Lee-Jackson Day (also commemorating Civil War ...
Robert E. Lee has been the subject of numerous biographies, documentaries, and novels, including several “alternative history” books depicting the South as winning the Civil War. Among the most popular books featuring Lee is a trilogy of novels. The first, written by Jeffrey Shaara, was the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels, which became the...
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Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was an American and Confederate soldier, best known as a commander of the Confederate States Army. General Lee was born to Revolutionary War hero, Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, in Stratford Hall, Virginia, and seemed destined for military greatness.
Oct 29, 2009 · Robert E. Lee was a Confederate general who led the South’s failed attempt at secession from the United States during the Civil War. ... Robert Edward Lee was born in Stratford Hall, a ...
Jul 19, 2019 · Early Years Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807, at Stratford Hall, his family’s estate in , the youngest son of Henry Lee III and Ann Hill Carter Lee. Called Robert or “Bob” by his family and friends, and signing himself “R. E. Lee,” he never used the moniker “Robert E. Read more about: Robert E. Lee (1807–1870)
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Mar 16, 2024 · January 19, 1807–October 12, 1870. Robert E. Lee was a prominent Confederate army officer who commanded the Army of Northern Virginia throughout most of the Civil War. He also served as General-in-Chief of Confederate forces near the end of the war. Robert E. Lee was a prominent U.S. Army officer before the Civil War.
