Robert E Lee Thesis

The Civil War (1861-1865) was a blotch on American history. It destroyed many acres and farms; hundreds of thousands of lives were taken; and not to mention the South’s territories were demolished. The cause of this conflict were the differences of the North and South cultures and their rights. During Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, the South was agricultural which meant that they needed slaves; however, the North was industrial. The South also wanted states’ rights and decide their way of life rather than following federal authorities. One of the most influential generals in this war was Robert E. Lee who served in the U.S. Army as a West Point commandant for a big part of his life but during the Civil War he was the general of the Confederate

Lee did not talk about his childhood very much mostly because he did not have an easy life. He grew up as Christian and went to an Episcopal church. He spent most of his childhood in Virginia and had eight other siblings. This was not very convenient because his family had financial problems. Henry Lee III who was known for fighting in the Revolutionary War was his father. His mother was Anne Hill Carter Lee. She must have been a strong woman to be able to satisfy all her children’s need even in debts. Things were not easy for them but his father did not do much to help out. Since was not responsible and did not meet his obligations as a husband or father, Lee felt like he had to take on his responsibilities and looked out for his mother. At a young age, Lee learned to become a housekeeper and to take care of his mother and their finances. It is even said that when his fellow classmates were out playing after school he would go back home and to carry his mother to the carriage, because the ride would cheer her up and would relieve her from any stress. Since boyhood, he taught himself to put other people’s emotions and priorities before his own.“I have been for so many years in the habit of repressing my feelings,” expressed Robert E. Lee. This was a benefit for him later in the army because one of characteristics needed was selflessness and self