Introduction
By the end of the Civil War, most Americans considered either Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant to be a hero. The reputations of the two generals, molded in part by a sectional bias that would aggrandize the achievements of one often to the detriment of the other, would wax and wane over the next 140 years. The time has come for a reassessment of these men, on whom fell the greatest responsibility for the survival or disintegration of the United States. Continue

Before the War
As noted in his Memoirs, the family of Ulysses Grant was rooted as deeply in American soil as were the Lees. Ancestors were in Massachusetts by 1630. Unlike Lee's early life, however, Grant’s Ohio boyhood, time at West Point, and first years of army service gave little indication of his remarkable talents and future greatness.
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The Civil War
In the spring of 1861, as the still youthful nation careened ever closer to what would become the Civil War, both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant were faced with life-altering decisions. Both men were governed by personal codes of honor and a steadfast allegiance to what each viewed as his homeland. In the end, their choices would be representative of those made by many of their countrymen. Continue

Reconciliation
After Appomattox, Grant was the savior of the Union, while Lee was the greatest hero of the Lost Cause. Their roles during the war had been clear. It was now time for each to find ways to be of service during peacetime. Having opposed secession, Lee decided to work during the postwar period to restore the Union. As general of the army and then president, Grant sought to maintain the peace and restore economic prosperity. Continue

Lee and Grant Electronic Map Video
This video was featured in the exhibition, Lee and Grant, and it focuses on Grant versus Lee: The Wilderness to Peterburg.Continue