Robert E. Lee's Role in the Civil War and American History

Introduction: Lee as a Historical Figure

Robert E. Lee was a significant figure in American history whose actions left a lasting mark on the nation. Lee is considered, among other things, a great soldier and an ideal strategist whose decisions produced consequences still visible today. Perhaps the most consequential of his choices was his decision to support the Confederacy. Had he sided with the North, the Civil War might have lasted less than a year. In addition, Lee's actions had a ripple effect on the Emancipation Proclamation and on the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. His life is a constant reminder of how individuals can shape history.

Early Life and Military Career

Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Virginia. Wishing to follow in his father's footsteps and serve in the military, and motivated in part by financial necessity, he enrolled at West Point in 1825. There he distinguished himself "by his scholarship and by his proficiency in military exercises" (Gale) and graduated in 1829. He spent the following years as a second lieutenant of engineers, where he exhibited a "fine presence with social graces, exemplary conduct, energy, and ability" (Gale). During this period he served at Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island, Georgia, and Fort Monroe, Virginia. He married Mary Ann Randolph Custis on June 30, 1831, and together they had seven children.

In 1834, Lee served as an assistant in the chief engineer's office in Washington and helped oversee the Ohio-Michigan boundary survey. He was promoted to first lieutenant of engineers in 1836 and to captain in 1838. A decade later, he was responsible for constructing Fort Carroll in Baltimore, and three years after that he was promoted to superintendent at West Point — an appointment made, notably, "much against his wishes" (Gale). He accepted it gracefully, however, and during his tenure developed into a strategist without equal.

It is interesting to consider how the Civil War might have turned out differently had Lee chosen to support the North. The war might not have lasted as long, and the losses suffered by both sides would certainly not have been as devastating.

Lee's Decision to Side with the Confederacy

Lee had no sympathy for those who wished to secede from the Union. He was a Whig, and the "political and economic arguments for Southern independence did not weigh" heavily with him (Gale). His understanding of the constitutional questions surrounding secession was limited; the primary issue for him was whether his allegiance belonged to his state or to the Union — a deeply difficult choice.

Lee was one of the most promising officers in the United States Army, and General-in-Chief Winfield Scott urged him to accept the position of field commander of the Union Army. Lee could not bring himself to do so and instead resigned from the army when Virginia's convention voted for secession. Of that decision he said, "I must side either with or against my section… I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children" (Murrin 514). He seemed to sense how long and terrible the coming conflict would be, reportedly writing, "I foresee that the country will have to pass through a terrible ordeal… A necessary expiation perhaps for our national sins" (514). Though his loyalty lay with Virginia, Lee did not relish the prospect of war. Nevertheless, "he considered that his sword was at the command of his native state" (Gale), and once chosen to lead, he devoted everything he had to winning. Had he brought that same energy to the Union cause, the war might have seen a drastically different outcome.

Desertion became a serious problem for Confederate forces in 1862, as soldiers grew worried about their families at home. John Campbell estimated that as many as 100,000 soldiers were evading service in some form or another (Norton 422). Even so, Lee and Stonewall Jackson pressed forward with a determination that could not be matched.

Conclusion: One Life's Impact on History

Robert E. Lee was a great man and soldier who gave much to the United States during one of its most terrible ordeals. His leadership was distinctive in that he was an "eminent strategist" (Gale) whose decisions rippled far beyond the battlefield. When we examine his life and its historical consequences, it becomes clear that his choices shaped American history in multiple ways. Had Lee decided to support the North, the Civil War might have reached an entirely different conclusion — and would almost certainly have ended sooner. His surrender, meanwhile, provided Lincoln with the political circumstances needed to strengthen the Emancipation Proclamation, which in turn laid the groundwork for the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. Lee's story stands as a powerful illustration of how one individual's decisions can alter the course of a nation's history.