How Americans Remember Robert E. Lee

1. Presented by Matt Roberts How Americans Remember Robert E. Lee

2. “True patriotism sometimes requires of men to act exactly contrary, at one period, to that which it does at another, and the motive which impels them the desire to do right is precisely the same.” • -Robert E. Lee in a letter to General Beauregard

3. Cementing his Generalship • Lee won his command after defeating McClellan’s efforts in the Peninsula Campaign. • The defeat of McClellan at Chickahominy was the event that solidified Lee as general of the Army of Northern Virginia.

4. The Patriot or Traitor Dichotomy • Lee is seen by the American people as a grand patriot shortly after the war and into the twentieth century. • Examples are grand patriot, beloved commander, grand general. • Lee is seen as a traitor by the North, at first, especially by the Federal Government. • This can be seen in the revoking of his citizenship, as well as the accusations in regards to Washington College

5. How is the Memory of Lee Used • Lee was used as a symbol of hope for the South. • He was a symbol for the past and a“what-might-have-been” history. • He was used as a connection to the past. • The idea of this gentile cavalier of impeccable character.

6. Impact in the Twentieth Century • He was used as a symbol of the the past. • This past was considered to be a time of morality being key. • The symbol of a man who persevered in the face of opposition. • The moral non-achiever.