Robert E. Lee

Arlington Cemetery Will Remove its Racist Confederate Monument, but Some Won't Let it Go

by Erin L. Thompson

The Arlington Confederate Memorial, according to a Defense Department review, mythologizes history so severely that no contextualizing signage could overcome its embodiment of the Lost Cause myths that justified Jim Crow. Some adherents of that myth are mad. 

A Painful Shared Bond: Their Ancestors were Enslaved by Robert E. Lee

Descendants of people enslaved by Robert E. Lee have met with his other descendants in an effort to expand dialogue about the public history presented at Arlington House, with the guidance of historian Susan Glisson. 

Bemoaning Alabama's King-Lee Holiday Misses a Bigger Point

by Kevin M. Levin

While white Alabama still embraces the "lost cause" mythology embodied by Robert E. Lee, outrage about the holiday he shares with Martin Luther King, Jr. shouldn't blind the public to the ongoing struggle to change the commemorative landscape—in Montgomery and nationwide. 

Two Deep South States Still Insist on Honoring MLK Jointly with Robert E. Lee

Historians weigh in on the politics of tying the MLK holiday to the ongoing veneration of the Lost Cause mythology. 

Facing the Truth in the Land of Lee

by Laura Brodie

The controversy over removing Robert E. Lee's portrait from diplomas at Washington and Lee University points to an uncomfortable truth: Lee's historical depiction as handsome has been a visual symbol of the Lost Cause that has contributed to acceptance of the pro-Confederate mythology. 

Richmond's Lee Statue, other Confederate Memorials Could go to Black History Museum

Marland Buckner, interim executive director of the Black History Museum, said in the release that his institution “takes very seriously the responsibility to manage these objects in ways that ensure their origins and purpose are never forgotten: that is the glorification of those who led the fight to enslave African Americans and destroy the Union.”

Virginia to Dismantle Lee Statue Plinth

Outgoing Governor Ralph Northam will execute the removal of the pedestal and the transfer of the surrounding traffic circle to the City of Richmond before Glenn Youngkin succeeds him in office. 

Lee's Fault: On Allen Guelzo's Biography

by John Reeves

A reviewer concludes that Allen Guelzo's new biography succeeds in evaluating Robert E. Lee's military career but misses in its assessment of his relationship to slavery and his legacy.

How do I Tell the Story of Robert E. Lee?

by Allen C. Guelzo

Lee is a study in contradictions, argues his most recent biographer. Can the public today engage with them? 

Remember, Lee Betrayed His Country

by Walter Kamphoefner

The removal of Robert E. Lee's statue in Richmond was a necessary step in the halting American version of Germany's Vergangenheitsbewältigung – facing the evils of the nation's past. 

Charlottesville Removes Robert E. Lee Statue at Center of White Nationalist Rally

“I’m really happy it’s a boring morning, and boring means that no bad things happened,” says UVA historian John Edwin Mason.

Retaining Its Name

Despite a protest movement by students and other stakeholders, Washington and Lee University's institutional changes in response to its legacy of slavery and ties to the Confederacy will not include rejecting Robert E. Lee's name.

A Southerner who abandoned the Lost Cause (Review)

West Point historian Ty Seidule's book traces his own personal path from venerating the Lost Cause myth of the Confederacy to rejecting it, including questioning the number of monuments to Robert E. Lee at the US Military Academy. 

Do We Really Need Another Biography of Robert E. Lee?

by Kevin M. Levin

Recent discussion of the forthcoming biography of Robert E. Lee by Allen Guelzo shouldn't foreclose the possibility that the book will offer insight because many historians object to Guelzo's participation in Donald Trump's conference on teaching history. 

Fraternity that Reveres Robert E. Lee Faces Revolt over Racism

A Texas chapter of Kappa Alpha called for the national fraternity to repudiate its veneration of the Confederacy, sparking a firestorm among active members and alumni about the place of the Lost Cause and Robert E. Lee in the organization's culture. 

The Mystery of Robert E. Lee

by Allen C. Guelzo

The supernatural composure attributed to Robert E. Lee was belied by his many anxieties and obsessions, writes the author of a coming biography of the Confederate general. 

Robert E. Lee’s Name Is Still All Over Arlington, But That Could Be Changing

“Symbols matter. They shape how we view the world and inform our culture,” Julius D. Spain Sr., the President of NAACP Arlington, tells DCist. “Do these [symbols] really represent the Arlington we live in today?”

The Story Behind the Lee Statue in Richmond, Virginia

by Peter Rachleff

Now the time has come for the story of the Workingmen’s Reform Party, the building of Richmond’s City Hall, and the solidarity-based politics of the Black and white members of the Knights of Labor, to come out into the light.

A N.Y. Street Is Named for Robert E. Lee. Officials Want That Changed

“His name should be taken off everything in America, period,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news briefing.

Historic Houses Turn to Technology Amid COVID-19 Closures

by Hana Hancock

Historic home sites have responded to the COVID crisis by developing online exhibits. More work remains to be done, and many cultural and historical institutions are in financial peril from the crisis, reports HNN's Social Media Editor.