Even Robert E. Lee Opposed Confederate Statues

Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Army during a losing Civil War effort. Still, Americans respect him greatly, especially in the South. Lee shows many things.Lee shows an idealized view of the Confederacy to sympathizers. He stood up against a much stronger foe. He fought bravely. He surrendered with honor and dignity. This surrender stopped a long Southern uprising.Lee earned a fairly high opinion. He fought bravely and surrendered with honor and dignity. His surrender avoided a long Southern insurgency.

Lee boosters claim Lee opposed slavery, but that is not accurate. Lee held a fairly high opinion of slavery.Lee earned a fairly high opinion.Lee had only been exposed to the least abusive forms of slavery.Lee forms of it.Lee thought the whole issue was up to God to solve. Lee was also complicit in slave-promoting actions. His Civil War troops raided settlements and captured free Blacks for enslavement.

Many who support Robert E. Lee's legacy point out how Lee spoke out.Lee spoke out in favor of Congress in 1866.of reconstruction and reconciliation after the Civil War. Lee spoke about uniting the country again in a hearing before Congress in 1866.Lee spoke out in favor of Congress in 1866.Lee’s reasons for this spoke less of pure goodwill. Lee knew reconstruction and reconciliation helped the South. Harsh sanctions and punishments were likely alternatives. Lee primarily sought to protect white Southerners' interests.

Though Robert E. Lee spoke for reconciliation and seemed to welcome the end of slavery, he also held very racist beliefs. During the same hearing with Congress in 1866, he continued to hold these views.Congress in 1866.Lee called for unity. Lee made clear that Black people were not equal. Lee said, “I do not think [a Black man] is as capable of acquiring knowledge as the white man is.” He also described them as only wanting as much work as needed for food, saying “[they] like their ease and comfort.”

Lee argued Blacks should not vote. He stated plainly, “My own opinion is that, at this time, they cannot vote intelligently, and that giving them the right of suffrage would open the door to a great deal of demagogism.” He also pushed to evict all Blacks from Virginia, thinking, “I think it would be better for Virginia if she could get rid of them.”

Because of these views and his leadership of the group wanting to protect the right to own people, many modern Americans feel statues of Lee make better museum attractions than modern worship shrines.Lee fought for racist practices after the war, which his fans often ignore. These are museum attractions from a troubling historical moment.modern-day shrines of worship.

Even Robert E. Lee opposed putting up Civil War monuments. When asked to help mark troop positions at Gettysburg, Lee politely declined with a letter.Lee declined with a letter.In that letter, He wrote.I think it wiser not to keep open the sores of war. Follow the examples of nations that erased the marks of civil strife. Commit the feelings caused by war to oblivion. Lee thought any Civil War monument just kept old wounds fresh. He felt it was best to move on.

Robert E. Lee opposed Civil War monuments generally. He also spoke specifically about Confederate statues and why they were a bad idea.Lee wrote his opinion on an 1866 proposal to erect a Stonewall Jackson statue.Lee wrote his opinion on an 1866 proposal to erect a Stonewall Jackson statue.Lee stated:More Than Just Statues In General – Lee Specifically Opposed Confederate Statues

Regarding erecting such a monument, my conviction is this: no matter how grateful the South feels, the attempt in the current country would retard, not speed up, its completion. It would also keep the difficulties Southern people face, or add to them.

Lee had a better idea for memorializing the Civil War. He said, "All I think that can now be done is aid our noble and generous women in their efforts to protect the graves and mark the last resting places of those who have fallen, and wait for better times."

Those demanding Confederate monument removal today claim they represent racism. Opponents of removal claim they are part of Southern heritage. However, a chart from the Southern Poverty Law Center, simplified by MotherJones, shows the movements to erect Confederate statues were clearly racially motivated.MotherJonesThe movements to erect Confederate statues show clear racial motivation. During racial turmoil, like the Jim Crow era or the Civil Rights movement's peak, Confederate monuments rose sharply. In calmer times, people did not seem to care about putting up statues.

The Civil War ended in 1865. Although some Confederate statues went up right after, they did not truly begin to appear.They began to appear in earnest during the Jim Crow era.They appeared in earnest until the Jim Crow era.The Jim Crow era began in the late 1870s and continued into the 20th century. During this time, Southern Black rights shrank through Jim Crow laws. These racist laws limited the personal freedoms of Black people, who had federal protection after the Civil War. The laws started enforcing segregation. Eventually, some Black Americans lost their right to vote.Confederate Monuments Started Appearing In Earnest During The Jim Crow Era, which began in the late 1870s and continued into the 20th century. Jim Crow laws rolled back Black rights in the South during this time. These racist laws restricted the personal freedoms of Black folks who had federal protection after the Civil War. The laws started enforcing segregation. Eventually, some states stripped Black Americans of their right to vote. White supremacy asserted itself in the South during this period, and dozens of Confederate monuments were built.

Construction of Confederate monuments really took off during the era of lynching.The trend really took off during the era of lynching.Racists peaked in the South as the 20th century started. Segregation and Jim Crow laws kept emboldening them. The Ku Klux Klan gained power again. Lynchings motivated by race became a common, frightening event. This marked the height of post-Civil War white supremacy in America. Hundreds of Confederate monuments went up during this time.

White supremacy faded in America for a few decades, and monument construction dropped. Brief increases followed race riots or the rise of global fascism. The pattern was clear: when race became a major issue, or when people of color gained rights equal to white people, the South erected Confederate monuments.

The last major push to honor Confederates happened during the Civil Rights era, right after the Brown v. Board of Education case.Brown v. Board of Education ended segregated schooling. Disturbingly, this time saw more schools named after Confederates. After the Civil Rights era, making Confederate monuments dropped sharply, but they did not vanish entirely.This era ended segregated schooling. Schools named after Confederates increased disturbingly. After the Civil Rights era, Confederate monument building dropped sharply. But they never stopped completely.

That speech ignores the clear history of Confederate monuments. The data shows building statues of Civil War soldiers and naming schools after generals always asserted Southern and white supremacy. The alt-right marchers at Charlottesville carried torches and chanted hateful slogans. This action always concerned race; both protesters and counter-protesters understood that.President Donald Trump himselfsaid as much:

Not everyone there was a neo-Nazi. Not everyone was a white supremacist. Some people attended to protest taking down the Robert E. Lee statue. Look at the groups. You can tell if you are an honest reporter. Many people showed up to protest the Robert E. Lee statue removal. This week features Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Is George Washington next? You must ask where this stops.

This speech ignores the clear history of Confederate monuments. The data proves constructing statues of Civil War soldiers and naming schools after generals asserted Southern and white supremacy. Charlottesville showed this clearly. Alt-right marchers carried torches and chanted hateful slogans. Race drove this. Both protestors and counter-protestors understood that.