Early Life Place: Stratford Hall Estate, Virginia Name: Robert E. Lee Date of Birth: January 19, 1807 Place: Stratford Hall Estate, Virginia Family: Mom, Dad [to when he was a child the age of 6], 4 brothers, and 2 sisters Brief Description of his early life: Robert E. Lee was born in Stratford Hall, son of “Light Horse” Harry Lee who was a revolutionary war hero and Ann Lee. His father was in debt so they moved to Alexandria, and after his debt grew and riots arise, he left for the West Indies. Robert E. Lee was then raised by his mother and taught him the self skills that his father didn’t have. When he was of age, young Robert went off to attend West Point military academy in New York.

Character Traits Kind Strategic ^ ^ Respectful < Robert E. Lee > Temperamental ^ ^ Honorable Calm

Ten Major Events [March, 1824] Lee was accepted into West Point [June, 1829] Lee graduated from West Point SECOND in his class [June 30, 1831] Lee traveled to Arlington and married Mary Ann Randolph Custis [1829-1844] Commissioned as Captain and went out and helped fortify and construct forts and defenses as an engineer in the engineer corps [August 19, 1846] Robert E. Lee gets orders to fight in the Mexican War, over the western United States [1848] Robert E. Lee returned from the Mexican War as a hero [March, 1861] The seceded states form the Confederate States of America and form the government of the Confederacy [April 25, 1861] Virginia secedes from the Union and Robert E. Lee soon resigns from the army to go and fight for his home state, now in the Confederacy [April 1861-April 1865] The Civil War goes on and Lee is a general commanding the famed “Army of Northern Virginia” [August, 1865- 1870] Lee surrenders his army and then becomes the president of Washing ton [and now Lee] College [Dies in 1870]

Paragraph About Major Accomplishments Robert E. Lee had many major accomplishments in his lifetime. One of his major accomplishments of his early life was when he was accepted, and eventually graduated from West Point second in his class of 45!! With this major achievement, Robert was able to choose which part of the army he went to. He chose to join the engineer corps and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Lee was soon promoted all the way to a Captain! During his career near Washington D.C., Robert E. Lee met and married Mary Ann Randolph Custis. His next major accomplishments were in the engineer corps, fortifying, improving, and expanding dams, defenses, fortifications, and forts. Some of his more known accomplishments was when he served in the Mexican War and was promoted to a Colonel, in charge of a regiment. Robert E. Lee, under the command of General Winfield Scott, took the Mexican capital of Mexico City and rapidly ended the war. His final accomplishments were late in his life when he won many battles in the Civil War as a Confederate General, and when he was the President of Washington College.

Picture of Most Major Accomplishment The Battle of Chancellorsville

Paragraph About What Questions I Would Ask Robert E. Lee If I could ask Robert E. Lee any questions if he were still alive, I would ask him three questions. The first question I would ask him is, “Why did you choose Virginia over the American Union at the outbreak of the Civil War?” I would ask him this question because nobody really knows the answer. Most people think that it’s about honor, but some historians and other scholars disagree. The second question that I would ask Robert E. Lee is, “Why did you choose to stay and fight at the battle of Chancellorsville, even when the odds were heavily against you?” This question would be essential to any interview because it will probably reveal Lee’s mindset and strategy during the Civil War. The final question that I would ask Robert is, “Who was your number-one role model?” This question is also very important because it would show who Robert E. Lee looked up to, and who inspired his strategy. Many people think that it was George Washington, but some people say that it was his mother, or General Winfield Scott. Those are the questions I would ask Robert E. Lee and why.