Robert E. Lee, is he a patriot? or a villain? and why?

Question

Why are people attacking Robert E. Lee?

I understand that the topic of slavery is a hot button one. But I want to understand beyond that. What makes people dislike the man.

Does any one think he is getting a raw deal out of history? He joined the confederacy because his home and heart were with Virginia, isn't that a noble gesture?

Are people just throwing him in with the "villains" just because of the slavery issue?

I would like some honest and thoughful answers not just "Your a racist" non-sense.

Answer 1

R. E. Lee was loyal to his state Virginia. He was asked to head the Union Army but refused as his loyalty lay with his state first. He as anti slavery yet served the Confederacy as his state was part of them. He is a hero to the South and admired by many in the North. He surrendered like a gentleman since he knew to continue would be the end of the the Army or Northern Virginia. The food supplies were cut by Sheridans Cavalry at Lynchburg a few days before he surrendered. There was no food available for his starving army. All the farms were burned by Sheridans Cavalry and his army was boxed in by General Grants Army of the Potomac and Sheridans Cavalry. Continuing with guerilla warfare was beneath a man of Lees stature though some in the Confederacy considered that and some even did it like Bedford Forrest. Lee was one of the greatest Generals in American history. Stonewall Jackson was also a great confederate general that was against slavery yet he was compelled to be loyal to his state and his students at VMI Virginia Military Institute.

Answer 2

Robert Edward Lee is a patriot. People forget that in the North the Democrats were the bigots while the Republicans supported ***** Suffrage,but now the parties have switched. The Confederate States of America or known as the South was an example of how the US was before the US Constitution became official. Do you remember the Articles of Confederation? It meant that we were united and that each states had autonomy with no central government,thus states had a lot of latitude. Eventually poor white people,YES POOR WHITE PEOPLE, would had rebelled against the affluent white plantation owners. If the South had the industry of the North, the Civil War would had been won by the Confederates.
The Civil War was about states rights and Abraham Lincoln only care for power, so why did he NOT placed the Proclamation of Declaration on the North where he had legal authority. The US Constitution does NOT spell out that the South cannot try to secede again! General Lee disapproved of slavery and did General Grant. General Grant was the 1st FOUR STAR GENERAL and a brilliant strategist as Napoleon Bonapart!

Answer 3

Robert E. Lee, who was personally anti-slavery, was actually asked to head up the Union Army, and as I understand it only declined and took up the invitation to head the Confederate Army because his beloved, native Virginia seceded from the Union.

He was a Virginian first and foremost, in a war which was not all about slavery. I say that not to condone slavery, but just to say that the Civil War was fought on a range of complex issues including, but not limited to, slavery.

Answer 4

It first needs to be noted that Robert E. Lee was anti-slavery. More importantly, he was against a federal government that had complete power and influence over a state and their rights. He was asked by President Lincoln to head the Union Army but decline because of that view. He felt that slavery would eventually end in its own time but that it was more important for a state to have it's own rights that the federal government could not take away.

Answer 5

He was a loyal gentleman and an avid christian. To this day, he is the ONLY person to graduate from West Point with 0 demerits.(FYI, he graduated first in his class and Grant graduated last in his class.) Probably the people accusing him as a villian are yankees, pissed that he turned down the commision from Lincoln. He did not fight for slavery as he was against it, but for states rights and he would not raise a hand against Virginia.

Answer 6

For the last time, the Civil War was NOT fought over slavery no matter how hard the history revisionist want to make it so.

Answer 7

i have a passion for early american history and have read at least 40 books related to this very subject if you think that we are corrupt now in our government it is nothing compared to what it was i do not necessarly think that robert e lee was a villian as much as he was a product of the military which at that point it self was corrupt and as a good solider at that preticular time he was leading what he believed to be the right thing at that time i personally don't agree with that perticular war and and i am also a yankee but i really did not know i was ayankee untill i moved down south i am trying to be as un biased as i can but with my studies of early american history i do consider him to be villianous but he was also following and leading his troups in what they thought to be the right way for there people. i also think custer was way worse and deserved what he got. i also on a personal note would like to say that i find the rebel flag that flies all over the area where i live to be offensive to me but i just look the other way ... the only time i really let it get to me is when we went to a resturant that had a rebel parking sign with the saying yankees not welcome in this establishment you would never find such a sign up north because people are more tolerant even today so thats my answer he was a villian but did what he was to do when you join the military you must leave behind your mind and let others in to control it....

Answer 8

He was my ggg uncle and this was the life back then people didn't realize what they were doing they just did what they knew should the kids in the service now that committ murder in the name of war be treated the same? I hate murder anyway you look at it I don't believe in war or the game of it. t is a game and the jerk offs at the top need to be put away. Ten rules we got from God just 10 and one of them is Thou shall not murder but it is the easiest thing in the world to do you know! It's your choice how you live on earth with the time you have

Answer 9

I understood that the reason of the civil war, among other things, was that the south wished to secede and be its own country because the slave owners wished to keep the slaves as a commodity. There was a whole lot of value tied up in their slaves.

Answer 10

"One must always perform their duty. No one has the right to expect more of you, and you should never demand less of yourself." General Robert E. Lee