THE TRIAL OF ROBERT E. LEE (THE UNKNOWN LEE)

Please read this entire article before reaching any conclusions.  I want to point out how susceptible most of us are to the power of suggestion.  This article is intended as "re-education" to those of you who were educated in Post Modern public schools and may have missed the actual historical truth about Robert E. Lee:
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He was born to an aristocratic slave-holding family in Virginia and as a young man was drawn to military service.  He rose quickly to became a military leader from Virginia and eventually fought in what was then frequently called a "rebellion."  In fact, during that era, his name was synonymous with "rebel" or "traitor." He believed vehemently that states, such as his native Virginia, had the right to govern themselves--and he would fight for that right.  By the age of 10, he had inherited a dozen slaves of his own.  He also inherited a large plantation not far from the city of Washington, D.C.  Like many aristocratic planters in the South, he made his living by farming--an occupation which, at the time, depended heavily on slaves.  He never chose to emancipate any of his slaves during his lifetime.  As he approached old age, he actually owned 123 personal slaves, leased 40 additional slaves from a nearby plantation and had a joint interest (with his wife) in 153 additional slaves.  At one point, he helped to raise emergency financial and military aid to prevent slaves in Haiti from obtaining their freedom from their French owners.  He also supported the Fugitive slave law that required free states to return captured slaves to their owners.

I'm sorry....  You thought I was speaking of Robert E. Lee, didn't you?  No, afraid not.  I am speaking of George Washington, another famous Virginian.  His plantation was Mount Vernon.  At the time of Washington's death, 316 slaves lived at Mount Vernon.  Washington provided in his will that his personal 123 slaves be freed upon his death.  That happened in January 1801 when his widow, Martha, freed those slaves.  However, Mrs. Washington kept all 153 of her slaves until her death on May 22, 1802. And she did not free them upon her death.  In her will, Mrs. Washington left all 153 of her slaves to her heirs.

I do not mean here to disparage George Washington.  The above are simply historical facts that can be looked up by any elementary student (unless they've reclaimed the history books recently).  George Washington did nothing that was unusual or uncommon for a Virginia planter of the time period.  But I do want to make the the following points, which I think this historical narrative illustrates:

1. We are too ready to ascribe racist or hateful attributes to one Southern leader, but not to another.  Washington is the hero; Lee is the villain. In truth, Lee emancipated ALL of the slaves he inherited during his lifetime and did not own slaves.  He renounced slavery and wanted nothing to do with it.  Washington never did.
2. Modern man has politicized all things "confederate," and all things Southern as racist and hateful, but has carefully omitted Washington, Jefferson, etc. from that list because it would require too much "re-education" of their public personas.
3. Nobody today is calling for destruction of the Washington Monument or the closing of Mount Vernon just because hundreds of slaves lived there over the years. But,  I hope you can see the irony.
4.  Finally, I do not, of course, believe that the Washington Monument or Mount Vernon are symbols of racism, slavery or white supremacy, any more than I believe that the confederate flag or Montgomery, Alabama or cornbread, buttermilk or Gone With the Wind are symbols of slavery, hatred or white supremacy.  Oh, if the radical extremists among us could just recognize the irony of their wayward ways.