Leaders
US History

Who Was Robert E. Lee?

The son of a Revolutionary War hero
A student leader at West Point
A soldier who loved his country but fought against it in the Civil War

Buy the Book

Robert E. Lee seemed destined for greatness. His father was a Revolutionary War hero and at West Point he graduated second in his class! In 1861, when the Southern states seceded from the Union, Lee was offered the opportunity to command the Union forces. However, even though he was against the war, his loyalty to his home state of Virginia wouldn’t let him fight for the North. Despite the South’s ultimate defeat, General Robert E. Lee remains one of the United States’ true military heroes.