Few figures in U.S. military history are as divisive as General Robert E. Lee (1807-70). Adored by some for his heroic leadership of the Confederacy during the Civil War - to such a degree that countless statues still commemorate him in the American South - and resented or loathed by others for the southern cause that he promulgated, Lee continues to court endless fascination. This episode of PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE documentary series explores Lee's life, accomplishments and reputation, with a particularly strong emphasis on his string of military victories and the idolization surrounding Lee in the 140 years that followed his death.
While he foresaw "no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union," Virginia-born Army officer Robert E. Lee stood with his home state and led its forces in the Civil War, winning praise from allies and foes for his tactical skills. Documentary looks at the life and stormy career of the military icon who came to symbolize "the Lost Cause of the Confederacy."
He is celebrated by handsome equestrian statues in countless cities and towns across the American South, and by two postage stamps issued by the government he fought against during the four bloodiest years in American history. Nearly a century and a half after his death, Robert E. Lee, the leading Confederate general of the American Civil War, remains a source of fascination and, for some, veneration. This AMERICAN EXPERIENCE film examines the life and reputation of the general, whose military successes made him the scourge of the Union and the hero of the Confederacy, and who was elevated to almost god-like status by his admirers after his death.

A Film by Mark Zwonitzer ; An Apograph Productions Inc. Film for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

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