Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was an American and Confederate general best known as the commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War. He is often regarded as one of the most skilled military tacticians in U.S. history. Lee's leadership and strategic prowess significantly influenced the course of the Civil War, particularly in the Eastern Theater. After the war, he became president of Washington College (later renamed Washington and Lee University), where he worked to heal the divisions left by the war. In Hebrew, his name is transliterated as רוברט א. לי. In Spanish, it is Robert E. Lee, in French Robert E. Lee, and in German Robert E. Lee. Lee's complex legacy continues to be a subject of debate, with some viewing him as a brilliant military leader and others criticizing his role in the defense of slavery and the Confederacy.