Robert E Lee was offered command of the entire Union Army, but had to turn it down because Virginia quit the Union. America should know he was NOT a racist, and his legacy is one of love of country, being torn and having to decide which side to fight on. Hopefully we won't have to be forced to make such choices.
🚲 People who be gots color have absolutely no interest in any biography of Lee. They see he's white. They know he's for the South. Black, brown, tan and magenta people hold racial grudges even longer than people without color. They actually are more racist. Many will agree but it's not p.c. to admit.
@@mikethebike2456 Everything about what you said is both wrong and stupid. Spoken like a true racist. You are a racist that calls the descendants of slaves racists. What white Supremacists garbage.
"Honor among soldiers..." Yeah, that's why there's statues of Guderian and Rommel at West Point. Oh, wait. There aren't any, because they are vanquished enemies.
"Robert E. Lee was the noblest of Democratic Party American who had ever lived and one of the greatest commanders known to the annals of war." - Sir Winston Churchill
@@useyourbrain3765 At age 17 in 1970 I joined the UNITED STATES ARMY. I spent 20yrs. from Vietnam to Desert Shield. I was in 6 combat tours of duty.I have 2 purple hearts and a bronze star with oak leaf cluster for courage under fire. I know that doesn't mean shit to you but my brothers and me really dont give a fuck. I get a generous 20yrs. pension from my uncle sam as CWO3. I just retired as 25yrs. union master pipefitter again great pension and other benefits goodys. I also receive maximum social security benefits. So every month I receive over 16000.00 dollars no mortgage no kids no child support no debt cash is king in my world. I forgot to mention I own over 400 acres next to a undeveloped state forest. I am licensed to carry concealed firearms I and my friends love firearms and know how to use them. Just one more thing my friends and I are not traitors to this country or its institutions.
@@scottouellette9411 Sounds like a very fine life, my hats off. But, I'm still believing Mr. Churchill got the ups on you. A personal perspective to be sure, but until you lead a nation, successfully, thru a world war... What in my disagreement with you on Mr. Churchill leads you to believe I would not respect your service? Kind of pulled out of thin air, that is. Myself, and my family, has served in uniform as well. But am not sure how comparing wounds with you changes the fact that Mr. Churchill carried a much bigger spear than either of us did.
If Virginia hadn't seceded from the union general Lee would not have been a Confederate general he would have served the union. But he was loyal to his home state
James McCutchan Yes loyal to Virginia, but Robert E. Lee’s wife was a very close descendent of George Washington, (great granddaughter or something like that) and he didn’t take changing sides lightly . But he was also loyal to the ideals that the Founders had, such as State’s Rights versus a centralized government. (Study the Morrill Tariff Act, and see what the Federal Government did to the Southern States when it was passed in 1861.) If I had been there I’d have done the same thing.
@@ajaxmaintenance5104 his father was lighthorse harry lee a hero of his own respect during the revolutionary war. And I think as an army engineer he designed and built fort Anderson's but I may be wrong on that
Genl.Lee made the statement that he would not lift his sword against his own state of Virginia. He also regretted leaving the US Army were his rank was that of Colonel. So, in regards to that, even though he was the General of the Army of Virginia, he wore the frock of a Confederate Colonel, whit the 3 stars on the lapel. And not the two small stars with a large star in the middle with laurel wreath around them.
He put secession over his country. R.E. Lee was a traitor of the USA and a slave holder. Spin it anyone one wishes with the idea of honor, but the vile man was not honorable or decent.
He was Lincoln's choice to command the Union Army. He turned it down as he could not bear the thought of fighting against his fellow Virginians. He was an honorable man and, an American soldier.
I do not buy that line one bit. He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. He violated that oath; that does not make him honorable. Had he stuck to his oath to the U.S.A., there was no oath to Virginia he would have violated. It was his choice.
Also, he owned slaves and beat them mercilessly if they tried to escape. He regularly sold individual slaves too, forcing lifetime separation between family members. And oh, he was the biggest traitor in the history to the USA, trying to destroy his native country to which he pledged his allegiance to at West Point. I mean, other than all this, right?
If that were true, then he should have just remained neutral. But, he didn't. Historical fact is: he fought to tear our country apart, and he was an ardent defender of slavery. Tell me what his redeeming qualities were, again?
He was a good man, and a great general, but conflicted. He followed his heart, but did not want to be deified. The gentleman did not want statues to be raised. I respect his memory and wish others would do the same... for the same reasons. Please respect his wishes.
We MUST protect this site from any and all desenters. This man is as revered as Washington, Jefferson and all Southern heroes of history not just the South. WE must pledge ourselves to stand up for all historical figures North and South, especially the heroes of the Confederacy. These men no matter what they chose were firs and formost Americans.
@Broomfield Eric No they were not traitors,the South had the right under the 10th Amendment to leave the Union, the traitors were Lincoln & his generals who ignored the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, and forced the South back Into the union.
@Broomfield Eric Their was nothing in the constitution at time that prevented a state from leaving the Union.Btw,we have a area in Seattle, right now that has been taken over by ANTIFA & declared an autonomous state,it has seceded from the city of Seattle & Washington state as well as the US,when the South did it in 1861,President Lincoln called for 75000 troops to go into the South & crush this rebellion, if the federal &state governments do not do the same in Seattle soon,the federal Government will have to appologise to the South & all the confederate dead of the civil war for having illegally made war on the South because if it can not move against this group of fascist in Seattle,then it should not have moved against the Confederacy.
@@potatoemasher3372 He renounced his U.S. citizenship and slaughtered tens of thousands of American soldiers. Pretty much as far from a "True American" as it is possible to get.
@@occamtherazor3201 You speak as if it really were that simple. Lee fought for his state, in those days a person's state was their home above their nation for most. It was not an easy decision for Lee to make, and your comment shows your absolute ignorance on the subject.
@@1legomaster Well, he made the wrong decision. He chose his social class and peer group over his country. He basically succumbed to peer pressure. His courage was "Physical, rather than moral." His cousin Samuel Lee had stronger moral courage. He served as a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and famously said "I will join the Confederacy when I find the word 'Virginia' in my commission." Lee's name should be spoken in the same breath as Benedict Arnold.
I pray that this significant place is not desecrated ,or, is forced to be removed by those whose ignorance is only eclipsed by their STUPIDITY !! Winston Churchill called Lee, " the most noble of all Americans and one of the finest military commanders in the annals of war." Lee was beloved in the South and RESPECTED in the North, especially by Ulysses S.Grant who threatened President Andrew Johnson that he would resign if Lee would be prosecuted for treason. Lee said he would " sacrifice all, but, honor" to preserve the Union.....however, he saw an attack by a powerful federal army on fellow Americans as dishonorable, and he refused to lead it . His decision to accept command of the defense of Virginia was based on Lincoln's announcement to attack any state which had seceded with a federal army augmented by 75,000 new recruits. Lee was not involved in the politics,or, arguments concerning slavery.....he was a SOLDIER.....one of the finest this country has ever produced. He saw his home, family, and friends threatened ...a place where his own father had served three terms as governor, and was determined to defend it. Lee KEPT his honor and dignity and gave it to the defeated South in turn....they could be proud in defeat and able to rejoin the nation to face future challenges and perils because of Lee and his example. Our country is suffering today because of the LACK of men like Lee in our nation. I say this and I am from the NORTH !!
I wished I could of visited this place on my last visit in VA. There is rumors we may be related to the Lee's family. My grandfather was named Robert Lee Stephens who lived in W. Virginia (related to the Confederate vice president) and my grandmother was adopted by her cousin who's last name is Lee back in the 1913.
with ALL the radical idiots out there it wouldn't surprise me if it did.. some people can not understand the history of how things are and where things have come from. just as the states are now. they don't know that these men were fighting for what they believed and some did not have a choice in the matter. its shame things can not be well left alone and let the memory of those who died for what they were fighting for... right or wrong.. those people make me sik. shoul;d we also forget the holocost?
I am so feed up with this shit these people are tearing up monuments from the north because they have no clue about the history or past. They have no respect for nothing. You like the past but learn from it but they have no upbringing
Regardless of what the union thought about him or even many from the North do today, Robert Lee proved himself to of been one of the greatest military generals of all time when one looks at the size of the union forces in comparison to the Confederate forces, Robert Lee kept the union forces at Bay very well. It taken a lot of time & effort from the union as it was not a easy task to finally defeat Roberts military planning and techniques. Many generals from the Union could not match his experience.
@Gazzara5 .... I agree with everything you said here totally and thank you & also fear that someone will in time desecrate his grave upon a opportunity. I was not for him during the start of the war also as that was wrong but guarantee that if anyone does and they are found out, they could be facing their own death I am positive as there is a lot of people who respect him highly as if they were biolgical family
@Gazzara5 some northerners back then were more racist than the confederates you want to talk about an evil bastard that was general William Tecumseh Sherman and even Lincoln himself in reality did not really care about blacks he used the topic of slavery in the south to gain support for the union which he wanted to preserve
Gazzara5 You make the same mistake that many do, believing that the Civil War was started over Slavery. It was not, and the only wrong choice that Robert E. Lee ever made was waiting too long to attack at Gettysburg. He carefully weighed every decision that he made, and he made the right choice in choosing to side with Southern secession. It was Abraham Lincoln who needed the war or face losing the huge sums of money that the government was wringing out of the pockets of Southerners. When Lincoln was once asked why he simply didn’t allow the South to leave the Union, he responded “And who will pay for the government!?” (Today’s History Lesson: The Morrill Tariff, passed in 1861, caused the Southern States, which were net importers of manufactured goods, to pay **75 cents out of every dollar** that was collected by the U.S. government. A fact the history textbooks all seem to have forgotten about, as though it was a moot issue.) Just as in the Revolution nearly a century earlier, Unfair Taxation, an issue which had already been simmering in the South for 30 years, and not slavery, was the actual reason why the Civil War was fought.
Very well said and a simpleton to this is when a southern soldier was asked by a northern soldier why he was fighting all that was replied was because the North was Down here . Giving the impression that back then it was widely divided by states rights and that they literally just felt that a foreign northern opressor was on the march to them
No, let them burn in their own hatred, as it is like drinking poison, with the hopes of killing someone else. They are not as bright as their indoctrinators arrogantly endeavor to convince them they are during orientation, and political science classes.
You cannot change history, good or not so good. Lee was not in favour of slavery, and only fought for his home state, after itr was invaded. He was a very intelligent and kindly man, from everything i have read bout him. HIs statue should not have been removed in Richmond, and im sure he would not like to see the Confederate flag used by ignorant racist groups as it is now. He was not a racist at all himself, and the vast majority of soldiers under his command did not even own slaves at all. Even Lincoln admitted, at start of the war, that it was not over slavery issue, but preservation of the Union. Lees statue is history, a Nations history, and should be replaced oneday.
Unfortunately a lot of people have trouble disassociating a man from his cause. This is especially true in these times. While I deplore the practice of slavery and the Confederate cause to succeed from the Union to maintain slavery I do remain respectful towards Robert E. Lee and other who fought for the Confederacy. Past and current wrongs and offences will not be reconciled by wiping out reminders of the past. I fear that instead it will do just the opposite.
I think you will find the Lee slaves were "freed" by Lee himself. He had felt that the ongoing cost of elderly slaves til they and their families died was too great to sustain. He and Grant had talks about the recovery as being successful only by education of both blacks and whites. Gen. Lee was a very successful military man long before the War between the States. (look to history around St. Louis early 1800's) Did many things in river control on the Mississippi.
You need a history lesson the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery it was about the south breaking away from the north and breaking from the tyranny the north wanted to tax the South 40% on the Cotton coming up
@@TonyRomearound A complete understanding of history often requires learning to look at things from more than a single perspective at the same time. What you said about why the south broke away from the north is absolutely true. The southerners were worried, frustrated and angry about too much centralized federal power and that's why they seceded from the Union. This is still a problem for many people even today. But there were also many people back then that generally found slavery to be morally repugnant and wanted to abolish it. Most were in the north but some were in the south as well. Slavery was also an issue for economic reasons because it supplied the free labor the south required to run its economy. So while your statement on southern succession is very accurate your other statement that the Civil War had "nothing to do with slavery" is not historically correct. Your thinking is too monolithic and you need to broaden it out.
@@rashadjames8996 G Washington was called a traitor by self righteous trolls just like yourself. At least ha wasn't a coward taking war to both black and white women and children, as did ALL union generals.
@@stevenriddle22 Great contribution to the black community, trolling a youtube page.👏 People like you are exactly the reason Malcomb X told the black community 65 years ago never to trust the insincere white liberal, as they were the most dangerous thing in the western hemisphere to the black man. This country wouldn't be here had there been no slaves, and you would have no platform for your trolling such ignorant hatred, which I relish in the fact, that it is only burning away at you, so badly, that you arrived here.
It really is a great place to see! VMI also has a good museum you can go through as well. Well at least they use to 26 years ago. I would recommend you see this piece of American history, before liberals, Democrats tear it down, and put the General and his family in some warehouse somewhere. If you never that it would come to this, just look around!
The thing about this is most if not all of the commanding Generals who fought on both sides went to West Point together and knew one another. they too were brothers in arms before the war broke out. thus having them chose sides to be on depending on your beliefs and where you were born.
South: Traitors to the Country and Belived Enslaving Human Beings North: Supported the USA and Fought to End Human Bondage. Seems simple enough. The South lacked Christisn values, the North did not.
@Richard Hunt Lee was no traitor & people like you are going to cause most of the states in this divided union to leave the Union ,it will not just be the South, it will be every state that believes in freedom & liberty as outlined in our founding documents by the founding fathers.
@Richard Hunt He was not a traitor, you sir come closer to being a traitor than he ever could,btw I believe your kind have captured 6 blocks in Seattle,Wa.,&have declared it a country,in other words it has seceded from the union,why don't you go join them,they seem to have your kind of beliefs.
Lee was also @the top in his West point college @ graduation. Thing was he got involved in a war by his loyalty to his state. It is history of the United States. The South almost won. They lost to many men. &didn't have the resources to fight a long war.
@@robertghorne8607 To this DAY, Robert E. Lee is considered No.1 of ALL graduates of the US Military Academy. His grade point average was 98.5 and he NEVER accrued a demerit. THAT is nearly impossible.
All of these video arm-chair-generals who make disparaging remarks, will never be even half the man General Lee was. They will be forgotten in weeks after death, but The General live on in history. Remember this, the South almost won...
I agree with everything until the last line. The South was never close to winning the war. Had Lee won at Gettysburg, threatening Washington, the best the South could have achieved was European recognition then sue for peace. The overwhelming industrial capacity of the North, massive population advantage, a navy capable of blockading all Southern ports, and finally finding capable field commanders doomed the South. In the end, there is no scenario that the North does not bleed the South of men and its capacity to wage war.
@@robertrock8778 The South had one major advantage over the North, competent Generals! If Gettysburg had gone the over way (it almost did), a lot of us might be living in a different country. I agree with the one-sidedness of manufacturing & manpower, but if the South would have won at Gettysburg, Lincoln would have sued for peace. Grant & Sherman saved the North after that battle.
@@robertrock8778 They were very close, the war was also political, and Northern families, they had seen enough. It was Mary Todd, that coined the phrase... Grant was a butcher.
That is how ignorant they are. A black guy saw my friend's Bonnie Blue flag flying in his yard and told my friend he had to have one of those Dallas Cowboys flags. True story. LMAO
General Lee was a slave owner like many of his generals and any person dealing in human slavery doesn't make this a good man but the opposite if he also believes in God and the Christian faith this makes it even worse.
Free Mason “I think Lee should have been hanged. It was all the worse that he was a good man, had a good character, and acted conscientiously. It’s always the good men who do the most harm.” - Henry Adams
@@darthvestius7771 Another great contribution to the black community, good job youtube troll. You are really making a HUUUUUUUUUGE difference in society this way!!!
The West Point oath, taken by commissioned United States officers: "I, _________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully execute the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God." This oath meant nothing to Robert E. Lee.
Its true, sadly. He was a talented leader, the Union could have benefitted from his service, and maybe the war would have concluded sooner. People pipe up about the "War of Northern Aggression" I like to ask them..."hey, remember how the aggressive Union had enough foreberence NOT to hang or shoot the entire Confederate officer corps after the war as traitors? Remember that?"
@@kanderson4417 He was a citizen of the United States and took the oath as a graduate of West Point, and served as an officer in the Army of the United States. You DO understand secession, don't you?
@J Calhoun Yeah. So "retiring" from your oath so you can take up arms against the nation you swore to protect makes it ok. lol. Kinda the way marriage is "sacred", I suppose, only so long as its convenient. I respect the guy's talent but this "culture hero what a near god he was" attitude is just BS.
should have fought for the Union and forgot about what his neighbors would have thought, from what i understand he knew before the war even started that the south would lose
Makes me sick all the comments from an educated people about southern generals and the people from the South there was just as many people that was against slavery in the South as there was that was pro-slavery and there was multiple of Union Generals that had slaves themselves the Civil War was not about slavery it was about taxes and tariffs and it wasn't until almost two years into the Civil War that Abe Lincoln was losing popular opinion with the people that he made it all about slavery hell he didn't even turn his own slaves loose until almost a year-and-a-half into the war please people before you destroy and run the South down do a little bit more research
Certainly a man who led and commanded well. Who fought for what he believed and what he thought was right, but an idea and an ideology I will not and cannot agree with. Instead I will go to Grant's Tomb and honor the man who "saved" this great country
This is my feelings on the matter. Ill go see general grant first. I acknowledge his faults ( a slave owner etc) but at least when the time came he stepped up and saved the union.
@@lightyagami3492 The only exception i have is in our cancel culture generation it is unfair to refer to Grant as a slave owner. While it is true he "inherited" a slave from his father in law one cannot deny the fact that after a short time Grant "emancipated" the slave he inherited even before the war. The reason being he grew up in a strong abolitionist home (his parents even refusing to attend his wedding because he married into a slave owning family) Grant found the whole idea of slavery distasteful and just as his desire to save the Republic was his desire to end the institution of slavery. In fact in writing his memoirs Grant says looking back the whole reason for the "great rebellion" was the institution of slavery. While President it was Grant who sent in the Federal Army to arrest and destroy the KKK so successfully that they would not be heard from again until rearing their ugly heads in the 20th century. To me visiting Grants Tomb is to pay my respect to a man caught in a turbulent time who had the courage and strength to admit not just his faults but to take steps to correct them. He did it on the battlefield he did it while president and he did it in his personal life.
I’m not gonna get to deep with it, but instead just give a quick explanation of why he was no traitor !!! People our government has a certain structure to it for a reason. That government structure was put in place by our founding fathers because of how the American colonies were treated by the British monarchy, the reason for the revolutionary war. Remember the phrase, “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” , which was the ultimate reason behind the revolutionary war being fought !!! The U.S. Government is structured as such, #1. Individual / Local Government #2. State Government #3. Federal Government It’s a very simple structure to be able to understand and follow, #1 comes before number #2 & #3, with #2 coming before number #3. Our founding fathers purposely put things such as the 2nd amendment & state militias in place for a reason. That reason being to where #2 & #3 can never become bigger than what #1 is, alone with #3 never being able to become bigger than what #2 is !!!! That’s a very simple & straight forward concept to be able to understand, right ??? Of course it is, there’s absolutely nothing whatsoever thats tricky about that !!!! People nobody was ever convicted of treason by the U.S. Government over the American Civil War for a reason. Again, that reason was because nobody outside of the U.S. Government itself actually committed treason against our government structure. The American South was well within their legal rights as American citizens to do what they did, the Unionist North wasn’t. There was no provisions within the U.S. Government that disallowed succession from the Union, yet there was provisions that limited the U.S. Governments control over individual & states rights. Now anybody can debate all they want about whatever the reasons were for the war happening, simply because most everything played a part in it, with some just being bigger than what others were to most everyone that fought in the American Civil War. Yet let’s don’t forget that the main reason for Southern succession from the Union originally started over Taft’s being placed on agricultural goods by the U.S. Government. The Unionist North had an industrial economy, while the American South had an agricultural based economy. Therefore meaning that the Taft’s placed on agricultural goods basically only effected the American South. Unbeknownst to what most people believe, the American South was actually richer than what the Unionist North was pre-American Civil War, the wealth was just less spread out among everyone within the American South. Remember that before mentioned phrase of “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” ??? Well since the Taft’s basically didn’t effect the Unionist North, at that point the American South felt no different towards the U.S. Government than what the American colonies did towards the British monarchy over the unfair taxes placed upon them. The American South had the legal right to peacefully leave the Union if they so chose too, simply because our founding fathers structured our government in a manner that allowed for it !!! Now for slavery !!! Only 6% of the American South owned slaves at the start of the American Civil War. The first slaves in America were in New York State, alone with the biggest known slave holder in the history of America being a “BLACK” man in South Carolina. Slavery was a dying institution even before the American Civil War. The importation of slaves into America had already long since been banned prior to the American Civil War. Don’t try to fool yourself, well over 90% of the American South didn’t fight in that war to persevere the institution of slavery, just like over 90% of the Unionist North didn’t fight in the American Civil War to abolish the institution of slavery in America. The New York draft riots alone tells us that much. As morally unethical as the institution of slavery is, it’s as old as time itself. Every single race, color & creed have been slaves at some point in time, it certainly hasn’t been limited to only one throughout the course of history by no means. The thing that we as a society today needs to remember is the fact that we can’t look at what people did over 150 years ago through modern eyes to judge them. It was a different time back then. Those people were born into things being a certain way, with that certain way being the only thing that they ever knew. Absolutely nothing makes it right, but there’s things that we unknowingly do today as a people that we will be frowned upon for doing by people in 150 years from now !! None of us have ever been a slave, just like none of us have ever owned any slaves. People need to grow up and quit crying over things that can’t be changed no matter what, alone with the fact that absolutely none of us have actually ever even partook into any of those things. I only see a lot of people that want to pick out a certain group of people to blame everything bad thats ever happened to them in their entire life on, while totally omitting half of the truth about why those things ever even happened !!!! There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever to be mad and blame one group for what their descendants done, especially when it never even would’ve happened if not for what their very own descendants done. Both of them were in on it & responsible for what happened, not just one !!! Therefore meaning that your own descendants are no better than mine, therefore quit trying to make it out to be that way !!!! One group did no more wrong than what the other one did !!!! Most of the people that fought in the American Civil War fought to protect their homes, not to persevere the institution of slavery. There was numerous “BLACK” volunteer confederate soldiers that fought in the American Civil War because of having that very same mindset about it. There was even black male slaves that hid and fought to protected both black & white women from the Union army because of them raping & beating them. Most of the American South that fought in the American Civil War gained very little to nothing by preserving the institution of slavery. Nobody is ever really the winner when it comes to all of this kind of stuff, everybody is always the loser. Blame doesn’t change anything, nor does arguing about it with someone that’s never gonna see it the same way in which you do !!! Remember the name Henry Lee that was on one of the graves in the mausoleum ??? Well that was GENERAL HENRY “HARRY WHITEHORSE” LEE. General Henry Lee was General Robert E. Lee’s father & a revolutionary war hero. People trust me, General Robert E. Lee didn’t fight in the American Civil War to purposely destroy what his father General Henry Lee fought for, for nothing more than the preservation of the institution of slavery. General Robert E. Lee was a career military man, not a career cotton or sugarcane plantation owner. Although his father in law owned slaves, Lee himself didn’t. The only slaves Robert E. Lee had was the one’s willed to he & his wife by his father in law. Those were slaves that Robert E. Lee freed long before the American Civil War ever even happened. Without a doubt, there certainly was probably people with the agenda of protecting the institution of slavery, yet it’s like everything else. Slavery was far from being the only reason as to why all of those people fought in that war. Yet regardless of that known fact, everybody is still being grouped together and having a single label put upon all of them regardless of why they did or didn’t do something !!!
@@drhobbs1669 I do indeed read history that's why I say f Robert e Lee. Why would I admire someone who fought with all of his heart and soul to keep my ancestors in chains? F them all.
I am a historian, (amateur), he was not a hero, yes a great military general who made a poor decision and prosecuted a war that almost destroyed this nation and would have proliferated slavery further than it did.
@J Calhoun Good point, however the issue became rather moot when the violence and conflict erupted over the border states, (bleeding Kansas, etc.). They were being forced to accept slavery through violence, intimidation, and bloodshed and these were compelling factors. I think the government's perspective was that the confederation was devolving into something else driven by the plantation elite, the majority of the southern population were being fed this narrative of individuality for control and economics as they were hardly observing states rights.
@J Calhoun I agree, Lee was an educated man that knew better, he also swore an oath to the constitution. Other Generals from the south who knew better like Buford, Thomas, and others remained loyal to the constitution, I just feel his choice by contrast to others like Buford and Thomas was a poor one, and history bore this out.
A great general, sure...but how does anyone honestly tell themselves he wasn't racist??? Read his own words! Loyal to his state and not his country. He was a traitor and should have been tried for treason.
Before the civil war the States had state rights each state made his own loss went by the United States Constitution but did not bow down to federal government that all changed after the self was invaded
They honor the Washington family there to (although the graves aren't there) general Lees wife has connections to George Washington through an adopted line.
May have been a half way decent man (for a slaver), but was a pathetic general on the offensive, and no general ever won a war playing defense. Way over rated by southerners, probably good enough to have commanded a division in the far better led northern army.
@@TonyRomearound Hit a nerve did I? He was pathetic even for the standards of those days, BTW - what did he ever do other than lose a war a third grader could of won (or at least drawn out)?
Grant was a pretty good general even though he owned slaves I like what Abraham Lincoln said if you believe in slavery why don't you try it other words become a slave and see how you like it
Oh thank you very much, have always wanted to see his final resting place! Traveler too! What a great man!!
Robert E Lee was offered command of the entire Union Army, but had to turn it down because Virginia quit the Union. America should know he was NOT a racist, and his legacy is one of love of country, being torn and having to decide which side to fight on. Hopefully we won't have to be forced to make such choices.
🚲 People who be gots color have absolutely no interest in any biography of Lee. They see he's white. They know he's for the South.
Black, brown, tan and magenta people hold racial grudges even longer than people without color.
They actually are more racist. Many will agree but it's not p.c. to admit.
icedogfan1 . . . another victim of the "Lost Cause" brainwash.
He made a choice and fought for the racist. Thank goodness for US Grant!🇺🇸 Merica!
@@mikethebike2456
Everything about what you said is both wrong and stupid.
Spoken like a true racist.
You are a racist that calls the descendants of slaves racists.
What white Supremacists garbage.
He was a horrid slave owner who I beat and mistreated slaves what the hell are you talking about
He was a man torn between sides. He followed his love for home state of Virginia. He was a great leader and strategist. Nothing wrong with that.
Jimmy Murray the civil war has always fascinated me.
pollywanda true. But he was a great leader.
@@jimmymurray6116 Oh my dear heavens --- I must sit down and fan myself.
"Honor among soldiers..."
Yeah, that's why there's statues of Guderian and Rommel at West Point.
Oh, wait. There aren't any, because they are vanquished enemies.
The War of Northern Aggression...? Anti-slavery was a disease...?
You are not worth anyone's time.
"Robert E. Lee was the noblest of Democratic Party American who had ever lived and one of the greatest commanders known to the annals of war." - Sir Winston Churchill
Churchill was a scumbag piece of shit.
@@scottouellette9411 And, compared to his life, you've accomplished what?
@@useyourbrain3765 At age 17 in 1970 I joined the UNITED STATES ARMY. I spent 20yrs. from Vietnam to Desert Shield. I was in 6 combat tours of duty.I have 2 purple hearts and a bronze star with oak leaf cluster for courage under fire. I know that doesn't mean shit to you but my brothers and me really dont give a fuck. I get a generous 20yrs. pension from my uncle sam as CWO3. I just retired as 25yrs. union master pipefitter again great pension and other benefits goodys. I also receive maximum social security benefits. So every month I receive over 16000.00 dollars no mortgage no kids no child support no debt cash is king in my world. I forgot to mention I own over 400 acres next to a undeveloped state forest. I am licensed to carry concealed firearms I and my friends love firearms and know how to use them. Just one more thing my friends and I are not traitors to this country or its institutions.
@@scottouellette9411 you sound like you've lived a badass life to me. From a graduate of The Citadel, thank you for your service.
@@scottouellette9411 Sounds like a very fine life, my hats off. But, I'm still believing Mr. Churchill got the ups on you. A personal perspective to be sure, but until you lead a nation, successfully, thru a world war... What in my disagreement with you on Mr. Churchill leads you to believe I would not respect your service? Kind of pulled out of thin air, that is. Myself, and my family, has served in uniform as well. But am not sure how comparing wounds with you changes the fact that Mr. Churchill carried a much bigger spear than either of us did.
I visit the lee memorial in Richmond County Virginia during the summer every year
God Bless Robert E. Lee.
Hope the burning looting murdering & anqueefa don't desecrate this hollowed ground.
We are working on it, don't doubt it. Marble doesn't burn too well but that is why God created sledge hammers.
The church needs 24 hour security only a matter of time before the devils try to destroy or burn it.
Countryman : Exactly I %💯 agree
Hopefully locals will fire some shots at the antifa & blm socialist communist marxist.
💣🔫🗡➕
If Virginia hadn't seceded from the union general Lee would not have been a Confederate general he would have served the union. But he was loyal to his home state
James McCutchan Yes loyal to Virginia, but Robert E. Lee’s wife was a very close descendent of George Washington, (great granddaughter or something like that) and he didn’t take changing sides lightly . But he was also loyal to the ideals that the Founders had, such as State’s Rights versus a centralized government. (Study the Morrill Tariff Act, and see what the Federal Government did to the Southern States when it was passed in 1861.) If I had been there I’d have done the same thing.
@@ajaxmaintenance5104 his father was lighthorse harry lee a hero of his own respect during the revolutionary war. And I think as an army engineer he designed and built fort Anderson's but I may be wrong on that
The word traitor was on many peoples lips.
Genl.Lee made the statement that he would not lift his sword against his own state of Virginia.
He also regretted leaving the US Army were his rank was that of Colonel.
So, in regards to that, even though he was the General of the Army of Virginia, he wore the frock of a Confederate Colonel, whit the 3 stars on the lapel.
And not the two small stars with a large star in the middle with laurel wreath around them.
He put secession over his country. R.E. Lee was a traitor of the USA and a slave holder. Spin it anyone one wishes with the idea of honor, but the vile man was not honorable or decent.
I pray that it is not damaged by the Left. He was a great man.
Thorn Jagger , I was thinking the same thing right before I got to your post.
How can they? He was a Democrat!! Lol!!
@@rubywingo6030 liar!
@@darreluselton7866 he was a hero! A patriotic hero!!!!
I agree .
I plan on visiting this summer 👍🏻. Gonna start at Appomattox and end at Gettysburg. Can’t wait for warm weather to return so I can go!
Sounds great!
He was Lincoln's choice to command the Union Army. He turned it down as he could not bear the thought of fighting against his fellow Virginians. He was an honorable man and, an American soldier.
I do not buy that line one bit. He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. He violated that oath; that does not make him honorable. Had he stuck to his oath to the U.S.A., there was no oath to Virginia he would have violated. It was his choice.
Traitor. Roast in Hell.
Also, he owned slaves and beat them mercilessly if they tried to escape. He regularly sold individual slaves too, forcing lifetime separation between family members. And oh, he was the biggest traitor in the history to the USA, trying to destroy his native country to which he pledged his allegiance to at West Point. I mean, other than all this, right?
If that were true, then he should have just remained neutral. But, he didn't. Historical fact is: he fought to tear our country apart, and he was an ardent defender of slavery. Tell me what his redeeming qualities were, again?
And Winfield Scott's as well.
He was a good man, and a great general, but conflicted. He followed his heart, but did not want to be deified. The gentleman did not want statues to be raised. I respect his memory and wish others would do the same... for the same reasons. Please respect his wishes.
@thomas riner If that's the case then we have to take down all statues,including any statues of all the civil rights leaders.
We MUST protect this site from any and all desenters. This man is as revered as Washington, Jefferson and all Southern heroes of history not just the South. WE must pledge ourselves to stand up for all historical figures North and South, especially the heroes of the Confederacy. These men no matter what they chose were firs and formost Americans.
@Broomfield Eric No they were not traitors,the South had the right under the 10th Amendment to leave the Union, the traitors were Lincoln & his generals who ignored the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, and forced the South back Into the union.
Please define Confederacy hero
@Broomfield Eric Their was nothing in the constitution at time that prevented a state from leaving the Union.Btw,we have a area in Seattle, right now that has been taken over by ANTIFA & declared an autonomous state,it has seceded from the city of Seattle & Washington state as well as the US,when the South did it in 1861,President Lincoln called for 75000 troops to go into the South & crush this rebellion, if the federal &state governments do not do the same in Seattle soon,the federal Government will have to appologise to the South & all the confederate dead of the civil war for having illegally made war on the South because if it can not move against this group of fascist in Seattle,then it should not have moved against the Confederacy.
@Broomfield Eric I suggest you read some books.
@Broomfield Eric Apparently you know nothing about the constitution.
He was a great man! May he Rest In Peace in the bosom of God! 🌹🌹
He was a traitor and a mass murderer
Indeed a true American, may he rest in peace
@@potatoemasher3372 He renounced his U.S. citizenship and slaughtered tens of thousands of American soldiers. Pretty much as far from a "True American" as it is possible to get.
@@occamtherazor3201 You speak as if it really were that simple. Lee fought for his state, in those days a person's state was their home above their nation for most. It was not an easy decision for Lee to make, and your comment shows your absolute ignorance on the subject.
@@1legomaster Well, he made the wrong decision. He chose his social class and peer group over his country. He basically succumbed to peer pressure. His courage was "Physical, rather than moral."
His cousin Samuel Lee had stronger moral courage. He served as a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and famously said "I will join the Confederacy when I find the word 'Virginia' in my commission."
Lee's name should be spoken in the same breath as Benedict Arnold.
A man with unwavering principles.
I pray that this significant place is not desecrated ,or, is forced to be removed by those whose ignorance is only eclipsed by their STUPIDITY !! Winston Churchill called Lee, " the most noble of all Americans and one of the finest military commanders in the annals of war." Lee was beloved in the South and RESPECTED in the North, especially by Ulysses S.Grant who threatened President Andrew Johnson that he would resign if Lee would be prosecuted for treason. Lee said he would " sacrifice all, but, honor" to preserve the Union.....however, he saw an attack by a powerful federal army on fellow Americans as dishonorable, and he refused to lead it . His decision to accept command of the defense of Virginia was based on Lincoln's announcement to attack any state which had seceded with a federal army augmented by 75,000 new recruits. Lee was not involved in the politics,or, arguments concerning slavery.....he was a SOLDIER.....one of the finest this country has ever produced. He saw his home, family, and friends threatened ...a place where his own father had served three terms as governor, and was determined to defend it. Lee KEPT his honor and dignity and gave it to the defeated South in turn....they could be proud in defeat and able to rejoin the nation to face future challenges and perils because of Lee and his example. Our country is suffering today because of the LACK of men like Lee in our nation. I say this and I am from the NORTH !!
I wished I could of visited this place on my last visit in VA. There is rumors we may be related to the Lee's family. My grandfather was named Robert Lee Stephens who lived in W. Virginia (related to the Confederate vice president) and my grandmother was adopted by her cousin who's last name is Lee back in the 1913.
I hope to God this doesn't get vandalized.
with ALL the radical idiots out there it wouldn't surprise me if it did.. some people can not understand the history of how things are and where things have come from. just as the states are now. they don't know that these men were fighting for what they believed and some did not have a choice in the matter. its shame things can not be well left alone and let the memory of those who died for what they were fighting for... right or wrong.. those people make me sik. shoul;d we also forget the holocost?
Please I hope there is security there , there is a move to erase the past to fit a globalist narrative .
Probably will as sad as it is.
Sherman's Bummers need to pay this place a visit.
Like Emmett Till memorial right?
Lot of great things to do in Virginia many of which have nothing to do with the beach.
Will Hammers So what’s wrong with the beach? Different strokes for different folks.
I visited all the civil war battlefields in virginia from petersburg to Manassas even visited Gettysburg pa.
These people today have no idea what a great man
I am so feed up with this shit these people are tearing up monuments from the north because they have no clue about the history or past. They have no respect for nothing. You like the past but learn from it but they have no upbringing
I visited Lexington back in '93. Very moving.
Regardless of what the union thought about him or even many from the North do today, Robert Lee proved himself to of been one of the greatest military generals of all time when one looks at the size of the union forces in comparison to the Confederate forces, Robert Lee kept the union forces at Bay very well. It taken a lot of time & effort from the union as it was not a easy task to finally defeat Roberts military planning and techniques. Many generals from the Union could not match his experience.
@Gazzara5 .... I agree with everything you said here totally and thank you & also fear that someone will in time desecrate his grave upon a opportunity. I was not for him during the start of the war also as that was wrong but guarantee that if anyone does and they are found out, they could be facing their own death I am positive as there is a lot of people who respect him highly as if they were biolgical family
@Gazzara5 some northerners back then were more racist than the confederates you want to talk about an evil bastard that was general William Tecumseh Sherman and even Lincoln himself in reality did not really care about blacks he used the topic of slavery in the south to gain support for the union which he wanted to preserve
Gazzara5 You make the same mistake that many do, believing that the Civil War was started over Slavery. It was not, and the only wrong choice that Robert E. Lee ever made was waiting too long to attack at Gettysburg. He carefully weighed every decision that he made, and he made the right choice in choosing to side with Southern secession. It was Abraham Lincoln who needed the war or face losing the huge sums of money that the government was wringing out of the pockets of Southerners. When Lincoln was once asked why he simply didn’t allow the South to leave the Union, he responded “And who will pay for the government!?” (Today’s History Lesson: The Morrill Tariff, passed in 1861, caused the Southern States, which were net importers of manufactured goods, to pay **75 cents out of every dollar** that was collected by the U.S. government. A fact the history textbooks all seem to have forgotten about, as though it was a moot issue.) Just as in the Revolution nearly a century earlier, Unfair Taxation, an issue which had already been simmering in the South for 30 years, and not slavery, was the actual reason why the Civil War was fought.
Very well said and a simpleton to this is when a southern soldier was asked by a northern soldier why he was fighting all that was replied was because the North was Down here . Giving the impression that back then it was widely divided by states rights and that they literally just felt that a foreign northern opressor was on the march to them
He was mediocre at best.
Such as Monticello, and Luray Caverns, the Natural Bridge, Lee Stonewall Jackson's grave ECT...
Some of the most beautiful places to see. ♥
stacyblue1980 - Better than going to the beach!
With all the hate for this Patriot rest in peace
Please define "patriot" because I don't understand.
@@withamarshview1436 if your don't know look it up
No, let them burn in their own hatred, as it is like drinking poison, with the hopes of killing someone else. They are not as bright as their indoctrinators arrogantly endeavor to convince them they are during orientation, and political science classes.
Really cool footage thank you
You cannot change history, good or not so good. Lee was not in favour of slavery, and only fought for his home state, after itr was invaded. He was a very intelligent and kindly man, from everything i have read bout him. HIs statue should not have been removed in Richmond, and im sure he would not like to see the Confederate flag used by ignorant racist groups as it is now. He was not a racist at all himself, and the vast majority of soldiers under his command did not even own slaves at all. Even Lincoln admitted, at start of the war, that it was not over slavery issue, but preservation of the Union. Lees statue is history, a Nations history, and should be replaced oneday.
Unfortunately a lot of people have trouble disassociating a man from his cause. This is especially true in these times. While I deplore the practice of slavery and the Confederate cause to succeed from the Union to maintain slavery I do remain respectful towards Robert E. Lee and other who fought for the Confederacy. Past and current wrongs and offences will not be reconciled by wiping out reminders of the past. I fear that instead it will do just the opposite.
I think you will find the Lee slaves were "freed" by Lee himself. He had felt that the ongoing cost of elderly slaves til they and their families died was too great to sustain. He and Grant had talks about the recovery as being successful only by education of both blacks and whites. Gen. Lee was a very successful military man long before the War between the States. (look to history around St. Louis early 1800's) Did many things in river control on the Mississippi.
You need a history lesson the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery it was about the south breaking away from the north and breaking from the tyranny the north wanted to tax the South 40% on the Cotton coming up
@@TonyRomearound A complete understanding of history often requires learning to look at things from more than a single perspective at the same time. What you said about why the south broke away from the north is absolutely true. The southerners were worried, frustrated and angry about too much centralized federal power and that's why they seceded from the Union. This is still a problem for many people even today. But there were also many people back then that generally found slavery to be morally repugnant and wanted to abolish it. Most were in the north but some were in the south as well. Slavery was also an issue for economic reasons because it supplied the free labor the south required to run its economy. So while your statement on southern succession is very accurate your other statement that the Civil War had "nothing to do with slavery" is not historically correct. Your thinking is too monolithic and you need to broaden it out.
God bless you Robert E Lee.
He a legend. God bless his soul
Thank you for recognize him.
He was a traitor to the U.S., and a racist piece of trash. May he forever burn in hell!!!
Dude was a slave owner. Fuck this assclown
@@rashadjames8996 G Washington was called a traitor by self righteous trolls just like yourself. At least ha wasn't a coward taking war to both black and white women and children, as did ALL union generals.
@@stevenriddle22 Great contribution to the black community, trolling a youtube page.👏 People like you are exactly the reason Malcomb X told the black community 65 years ago never to trust the insincere white liberal, as they were the most dangerous thing in the western hemisphere to the black man. This country wouldn't be here had there been no slaves, and you would have no platform for your trolling such ignorant hatred, which I relish in the fact, that it is only burning away at you, so badly, that you arrived here.
the greatest general of the American Civil War.
It really is a great place to see! VMI also has a good museum you can go through as well. Well at least they use to 26 years ago. I would recommend you see this piece of American history, before liberals, Democrats tear it down, and put the General and his family in some warehouse somewhere. If you never that it would come to this, just look around!
I just came back , loved it.
A great man torn between brother's
The thing about this is most if not all of the commanding Generals who fought on both sides went to West Point together and knew one another. they too were brothers in arms before the war broke out. thus having them chose sides to be on depending on your beliefs and where you were born.
South: Traitors to the Country and Belived Enslaving Human Beings
North: Supported the USA and Fought to End Human Bondage.
Seems simple enough.
The South lacked Christisn values, the North did not.
RIP Great Virginian!
History needs to be remembered. 🇺🇸
I hope it is protected well.
I hope there is security there with all that going on , there is a move in this country to erase its past
God bless the south
This place is on my bucket list of places to visit before I die.
I've been there twice. it was better before they took the flags down. about 6 blocks away is the grave of Stonewall Jackson.
A great General !
@Richard Hunt well the jerk store called they're running out of you
@Richard Hunt Lee was no traitor & people like you are going to cause most of the states in this divided union to leave the Union ,it will not just be the South, it will be every state that believes in freedom & liberty as outlined in our founding documents by the founding fathers.
@Richard Hunt He was not a traitor, you sir come closer to being a traitor than he ever could,btw I believe your kind have captured 6 blocks in Seattle,Wa.,&have declared it a country,in other words it has seceded from the union,why don't you go join them,they seem to have your kind of beliefs.
Lee was also @the top in his West point college @ graduation. Thing was he got involved in a war by his loyalty to his state. It is history of the United States. The South almost won. They lost to many men. &didn't have the resources to fight a long war.
@@robertghorne8607 To this DAY, Robert E. Lee is considered No.1 of ALL graduates of the US Military Academy. His grade point average was 98.5 and he NEVER accrued a demerit. THAT is nearly impossible.
I hope they have armed security in place. Some POS might spray graffiti on it.
🚲 Isn't that the 2020 thing to do, now that we've completely arrived at the planet of the apes ?
Needs bull dozed under. Lee was a vile traitor to the USA
@@darthvestius7771 Your ignorance will be your demise.
My family has a proud tradition of annihilating the Confederacy.
It's heritage, not hate.
All of these video arm-chair-generals who make disparaging remarks, will never be even half the man General Lee was. They will be forgotten in weeks after death, but The General live on in history. Remember this, the South almost won...
I agree with everything until the last line. The South was never close to winning the war. Had Lee won at Gettysburg, threatening Washington, the best the South could have achieved was European recognition then sue for peace.
The overwhelming industrial capacity of the North, massive population advantage, a navy capable of blockading all Southern ports, and finally finding capable field commanders doomed the South.
In the end, there is no scenario that the North does not bleed the South of men and its capacity to wage war.
@@robertrock8778 The South had one major advantage over the North, competent Generals! If Gettysburg had gone the over way (it almost did), a lot of us might be living in a different country. I agree with the one-sidedness of manufacturing & manpower, but if the South would have won at Gettysburg, Lincoln would have sued for peace. Grant & Sherman saved the North after that battle.
@@robertrock8778 They were very close, the war was also political, and Northern families, they had seen enough. It was Mary Todd, that coined the phrase... Grant was a butcher.
Lee was a great general and man, todays criminals who call themselves protesters not so much.
General Lee was initially buried in the ground under the other side of the church before they built the family crypt very great place to experience
God Bless you Robert E Lee
One of our great generals.
General Steven D. Lee 5683 i have a question do you know stonewall Jackson personally ?
He was a traitor to the USA
@@HarryHirsch84 Stupid question,no one living today could have known anyone personally from that era.
@@darthvestius7771 Lincoln was the traitor,he betrayed the US constitution ignoring the 10th Amendment to the US constitution .
He was a great general and so was stone wall jackson. They just chose the wrong side of history.
🌹🌹🌹❤️❤️❤️R.I.P.
I came here after I saw a photo of a “BLM” vandalism on a random man’s grave named “Robert Lee Harrison” because they thought it said “Robert E Lee.”
Thanks for stopping by. I hoping to start making videos when I get a new te drop camper.
That is how ignorant they are. A black guy saw my friend's Bonnie Blue flag flying in his yard and told my friend he had to have one of those Dallas Cowboys flags. True story. LMAO
A good man
A good man? A traitor to his country, responsible in large part to well over 600,000 lives lost.
So why, prior to leaving for the Mexican-American War did his will request freeing those slaves that he owned?
A traitor and a slave holder. Vile man
@thomas riner He owned slaves. Stop with the revisionist history. A traitor to his country.
General Lee was a slave owner like many of his generals and any person dealing in human slavery doesn't make this a good man but the opposite if he also believes in God and the Christian faith this makes it even worse.
General Lee, dukes of Hazzard 😀👍
God bless America!
Don't tell the "Libs" where that is .
A great man. A bad cause.
General lee before the civil war was a slave land owner. And to have human beings as living slaves doesn't make this a great man but the opposite.
human channel
Some scholar.
Free Mason
“I think Lee should have been hanged. It was all the worse that he was a good man, had a good character, and acted conscientiously. It’s always the good men who do the most harm.” - Henry Adams
He had gentle face.
For a slave holder....
@@darthvestius7771 . And so was Lincoln and many more who fought on the side of north.. yes your right but nevertheless he had a gentle face
@@darthvestius7771 Another great contribution to the black community, good job youtube troll. You are really making a HUUUUUUUUUGE difference in society this way!!!
Lee and grant fought together at the battle of the Alamo to win Texas
I.maiden 4 life eddie
Pardon?
Me thinks thou hast tossed a road apple.
@@g0679 look it up you apple tosser
I.maiden 4 life eddie
Nonsense.
I didn't know that.
The West Point oath, taken by commissioned United States officers:
"I, _________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully execute the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God."
This oath meant nothing to Robert E. Lee.
Its true, sadly. He was a talented leader, the Union could have benefitted from his service, and maybe the war would have concluded sooner. People pipe up about the "War of Northern Aggression" I like to ask them..."hey, remember how the aggressive Union had enough foreberence NOT to hang or shoot the entire Confederate officer corps after the war as traitors? Remember that?"
Well said. If not for the compassion of Grant and Lincoln, he would have been tried for treason and shot.
He wasn't in the United States, he was a citizen of the confederate States of America.
@@kanderson4417 He was a citizen of the United States and took the oath as a graduate of West Point, and served as an officer in the Army of the United States. You DO understand secession, don't you?
@J Calhoun Yeah. So "retiring" from your oath so you can take up arms against the nation you swore to protect makes it ok. lol. Kinda the way marriage is "sacred", I suppose, only so long as its convenient.
I respect the guy's talent but this "culture hero what a near god he was" attitude is just BS.
should have fought for the Union and forgot about what his neighbors would have thought, from what i understand he knew before the war even started that the south would lose
thomas riner no yankee here
🚲 Then he'd be killing all the Virginians he knew.
Mike theBike lol like they would more than likely trying to kill him
Makes me sick all the comments from an educated people about southern generals and the people from the South there was just as many people that was against slavery in the South as there was that was pro-slavery and there was multiple of Union Generals that had slaves themselves the Civil War was not about slavery it was about taxes and tariffs and it wasn't until almost two years into the Civil War that Abe Lincoln was losing popular opinion with the people that he made it all about slavery hell he didn't even turn his own slaves loose until almost a year-and-a-half into the war please people before you destroy and run the South down do a little bit more research
I guess this monument is doomed too fucking sad.
Certainly a man who led and commanded well. Who fought for what he believed and what he thought was right, but an idea and an ideology I will not and cannot agree with. Instead I will go to Grant's Tomb and honor the man who "saved" this great country
This is my feelings on the matter. Ill go see general grant first. I acknowledge his faults ( a slave owner etc) but at least when the time came he stepped up and saved the union.
@@lightyagami3492 The only exception i have is in our cancel culture generation it is unfair to refer to Grant as a slave owner. While it is true he "inherited" a slave from his father in law one cannot deny the fact that after a short time Grant "emancipated" the slave he inherited even before the war. The reason being he grew up in a strong abolitionist home (his parents even refusing to attend his wedding because he married into a slave owning family) Grant found the whole idea of slavery distasteful and just as his desire to save the Republic was his desire to end the institution of slavery. In fact in writing his memoirs Grant says looking back the whole reason for the "great rebellion" was the institution of slavery. While President it was Grant who sent in the Federal Army to arrest and destroy the KKK so successfully that they would not be heard from again until rearing their ugly heads in the 20th century. To me visiting Grants Tomb is to pay my respect to a man caught in a turbulent time who had the courage and strength to admit not just his faults but to take steps to correct them. He did it on the battlefield he did it while president and he did it in his personal life.
Are you sure about that?
Wow. I've never seen this before.
Its beautiful. And fitting.
Hate this music though.
Chopin rules.
I’m not gonna get to deep with it, but instead just give a quick explanation of why he was no traitor !!!
People our government has a certain structure to it for a reason. That government structure was put in place by our founding fathers because of how the American colonies were treated by the British monarchy, the reason for the revolutionary war. Remember the phrase, “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” , which was the ultimate reason behind the revolutionary war being fought !!!
The U.S. Government is structured as such,
#1. Individual / Local Government
#2. State Government
#3. Federal Government
It’s a very simple structure to be able to understand and follow, #1 comes before number #2 & #3, with #2 coming before number #3.
Our founding fathers purposely put things such as the 2nd amendment & state militias in place for a reason. That reason being to where #2 & #3 can never become bigger than what #1 is, alone with #3 never being able to become bigger than what #2 is !!!!
That’s a very simple & straight forward concept to be able to understand, right ???
Of course it is, there’s absolutely nothing whatsoever thats tricky about that !!!!
People nobody was ever convicted of treason by the U.S. Government over the American Civil War for a reason. Again, that reason was because nobody outside of the U.S. Government itself actually committed treason against our government structure.
The American South was well within their legal rights as American citizens to do what they did, the Unionist North wasn’t. There was no provisions within the U.S. Government that disallowed succession from the Union, yet there was provisions that limited the U.S. Governments control over individual & states rights.
Now anybody can debate all they want about whatever the reasons were for the war happening, simply because most everything played a part in it, with some just being bigger than what others were to most everyone that fought in the American Civil War. Yet let’s don’t forget that the main reason for Southern succession from the Union originally started over Taft’s being placed on agricultural goods by the U.S. Government. The Unionist North had an industrial economy, while the American South had an agricultural based economy. Therefore meaning that the Taft’s placed on agricultural goods basically only effected the American South. Unbeknownst to what most people believe, the American South was actually richer than what the Unionist North was pre-American Civil War, the wealth was just less spread out among everyone within the American South.
Remember that before mentioned phrase of “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” ???
Well since the Taft’s basically didn’t effect the Unionist North, at that point the American South felt no different towards the U.S. Government than what the American colonies did towards the British monarchy over the unfair taxes placed upon them. The American South had the legal right to peacefully leave the Union if they so chose too, simply because our founding fathers structured our government in a manner that allowed for it !!!
Now for slavery !!! Only 6% of the American South owned slaves at the start of the American Civil War. The first slaves in America were in New York State, alone with the biggest known slave holder in the history of America being a “BLACK” man in South Carolina. Slavery was a dying institution even before the American Civil War. The importation of slaves into America had already long since been banned prior to the American Civil War. Don’t try to fool yourself, well over 90% of the American South didn’t fight in that war to persevere the institution of slavery, just like over 90% of the Unionist North didn’t fight in the American Civil War to abolish the institution of slavery in America. The New York draft riots alone tells us that much.
As morally unethical as the institution of slavery is, it’s as old as time itself. Every single race, color & creed have been slaves at some point in time, it certainly hasn’t been limited to only one throughout the course of history by no means. The thing that we as a society today needs to remember is the fact that we can’t look at what people did over 150 years ago through modern eyes to judge them. It was a different time back then. Those people were born into things being a certain way, with that certain way being the only thing that they ever knew. Absolutely nothing makes it right, but there’s things that we unknowingly do today as a people that we will be frowned upon for doing by people in 150 years from now !!
None of us have ever been a slave, just like none of us have ever owned any slaves. People need to grow up and quit crying over things that can’t be changed no matter what, alone with the fact that absolutely none of us have actually ever even partook into any of those things. I only see a lot of people that want to pick out a certain group of people to blame everything bad thats ever happened to them in their entire life on, while totally omitting half of the truth about why those things ever even happened !!!! There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever to be mad and blame one group for what their descendants done, especially when it never even would’ve happened if not for what their very own descendants done. Both of them were in on it & responsible for what happened, not just one !!! Therefore meaning that your own descendants are no better than mine, therefore quit trying to make it out to be that way !!!! One group did no more wrong than what the other one did !!!!
Most of the people that fought in the American Civil War fought to protect their homes, not to persevere the institution of slavery. There was numerous “BLACK” volunteer confederate soldiers that fought in the American Civil War because of having that very same mindset about it. There was even black male slaves that hid and fought to protected both black & white women from the Union army because of them raping & beating them. Most of the American South that fought in the American Civil War gained very little to nothing by preserving the institution of slavery. Nobody is ever really the winner when it comes to all of this kind of stuff, everybody is always the loser. Blame doesn’t change anything, nor does arguing about it with someone that’s never gonna see it the same way in which you do !!!
Remember the name Henry Lee that was on one of the graves in the mausoleum ???
Well that was GENERAL HENRY “HARRY WHITEHORSE” LEE. General Henry Lee was General Robert E. Lee’s father & a revolutionary war hero. People trust me, General Robert E. Lee didn’t fight in the American Civil War to purposely destroy what his father General Henry Lee fought for, for nothing more than the preservation of the institution of slavery. General Robert E. Lee was a career military man, not a career cotton or sugarcane plantation owner. Although his father in law owned slaves, Lee himself didn’t. The only slaves Robert E. Lee had was the one’s willed to he & his wife by his father in law. Those were slaves that Robert E. Lee freed long before the American Civil War ever even happened.
Without a doubt, there certainly was probably people with the agenda of protecting the institution of slavery, yet it’s like everything else. Slavery was far from being the only reason as to why all of those people fought in that war. Yet regardless of that known fact, everybody is still being grouped together and having a single label put upon all of them regardless of why they did or didn’t do something !!!
Should have contained the north not try to defeat it .................
I am pleased that you had the good grace to fly the union flag in this video. Well done.
His statue has been torn down so his grave will be next!!!!!
Of course. The mob will demand 2 options. 1. Unmarked grave. 2. Buried at sea.
It's sad that not even graves are sacred anymore
Greatest man who ever lived
I wonder why Benedict Arnold does not have such a lavish monument in Connecticut?
Take it down
Not going to happen. If you done like it move on.
@@drhobbs1669 he was a traitor.
@@oohweeoohwee9222 read you history. And stop listening to the racist left.
@@drhobbs1669 I do indeed read history that's why I say f Robert e Lee. Why would I admire someone who fought with all of his heart and soul to keep my ancestors in chains? F them all.
I am a historian, (amateur), he was not a hero, yes a great military general who made a poor decision and prosecuted a war that almost destroyed this nation and would have proliferated slavery further than it did.
@S Lawson Oh boy, I offended the sensibilities of the R.E. Lee fans!, why stop with him and include Benedict Arnold?
@J Calhoun Good point, however the issue became rather moot when the violence and conflict erupted over the border states, (bleeding Kansas, etc.). They were being forced to accept slavery through violence, intimidation, and bloodshed and these were compelling factors. I think the government's perspective was that the confederation was devolving into something else driven by the plantation elite, the majority of the southern population were being fed this narrative of individuality for control and economics as they were hardly observing states rights.
@J Calhoun I agree, Lee was an educated man that knew better, he also swore an oath to the constitution. Other Generals from the south who knew better like Buford, Thomas, and others remained loyal to the constitution, I just feel his choice by contrast to others like Buford and Thomas was a poor one, and history bore this out.
I can tell your an amateur
@@charlielowell8719 Why is that?, did I offend by a casual ctitique to the sacred memory of R.E. Lee?
A great general, sure...but how does anyone honestly tell themselves he wasn't racist??? Read his own words!
Loyal to his state and not his country. He was a traitor and should have been tried for treason.
Before the civil war the States had state rights each state made his own loss went by the United States Constitution but did not bow down to federal government that all changed after the self was invaded
I had no idea they literally built a church just to honor him in LoL holy crap, isn’t this a bit excessive?!?
The church was built in 1867. When he died 3 years later a crypt was put in under it, which is where a lot of the Lee family is interred
They honor the Washington family there to (although the graves aren't there) general Lees wife has connections to George Washington through an adopted line.
He betrayed the country! He was defending a way of life. OWNING PEOPLE!!
He must be warm by now
May have been a half way decent man (for a slaver), but was a pathetic general on the offensive, and no general ever won a war playing defense. Way over rated by southerners, probably good enough to have commanded a division in the far better led northern army.
Hey why don't you keep your stupid negative comments to yourself. What have you ever done in life?
@@TonyRomearound Hit a nerve did I? He was pathetic even for the standards of those days, BTW - what did he ever do other than lose a war a third grader could of won (or at least drawn out)?
Grant was a pretty good general even though he owned slaves I like what Abraham Lincoln said if you believe in slavery why don't you try it other words become a slave and see how you like it