Special Features
- Teacher's Resources: Lesson Plans from EDSITEment
- Further Reading: Related Books and Websites
- Timeline: The Life of Robert E. Lee
- Biography: General Robert E. Lee
- Bonus Video: Interview with Park Ranger Matt Penrod
- Primary Resources: Surrender Documents
He is celebrated by handsome equestrian statues in countless cities and towns across the American South, and by two postage stamps issued by the government he fought against during the four bloodiest years in American history. Nearly a century and a half after his death, Robert E. Lee, the leading Confederate general of the American Civil War, remains a source of fascination and, for some, veneration. This two-hour film examines the life and reputation of the Confederacy's pre-eminent general, whose military successes made him the scourge of the Union and the hero of the Confederacy during the Civil War, and who was elevated to almost god-like status by his admirers after his death.
My American Experience
Share Your Story
Do you admire Robert E. Lee? Or perhaps Ulysses S. Grant? Tell us who is your favorite and why.
Series Blog
"Share Your Story" Prompt Leads to Historical Find
Walter J. Lord, a native of Irving, Texas, who will soon be celebrating his 82nd birthday, recently submitted to the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE "Share Your Story" feature. In response to the question "Who is the Greatest Civil War General?" he attached a scanned image of a yellowed piece of paper with Appomattox Court House, Va printed across the top and an official looking seal on the left. "What can you tell me about this pass?" Lord wrote. "Is it real?"
