Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant fought each other in the bloody Civil War, and they were respected generals and public figures. They shared some common values. For example, both Lee and Grant did not fight for violence, but they led armies to end the county’s fight against itself and bring peace back to America. Lee and Grant were also known for their military strategies that earned the Confederate and the Union numerous battle victories. On the other hand, they each had very different backgrounds that made up their value system. Lee's family represented a past era of knighthood and English squires. Grant, however, grew up beyond the mountains, and he became independent and self sufficient. Lee believed in a class society with inequality.
The analysis that Catton’s had for the two generals was that they were two strong men that grew differently from each other. For example, General Robert E. Lee grew up believing in traditional, and personified with the English knights and country squires. Also, Lee believed that the lower class should be backed by an ownership of the land so therefore the land would be key source of wealth for the country. However, General Ulysses S. Grant had a completely different mindset from General Robert E. Lee, Grant was looking towards the future and striving to better himself and others in the country. He also believed that you should earn everything and not should be hand giving. Grant only wanted to see the country to succeed and Lee wanted the
Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee are two of the most operational military leaders in American history. These men have become figurative of the two nation-states at battle through the Civil War. Both had very dissimilar backgrounds and behaviors that instigated them to contrast in their military headship and accomplishments. Catton exposes the dissimilar headship styles of both generals and then presents the strength of two contradictory currents that lead into a final collision, the Civil War. Catton’s examination underlines many areas of the two generals. For example, Lee from Virginia has an old-fashioned principles, culture and tradition. Lee believed in the idea that having unequal, set social categories provided a benefit to humanity.
Before being generals clashing on the battlefield both were students at West Point with slightly different experiences. Robert Lee’s father was in the military, so it was only natural for a true Virginia blood to attend West-Point to join the military (Staff, para. 2). Grant, on the other hand, was actually registered by his father to
General Grant and Lee, were two brave soldiers that fought for what they believed in and for their country. These two heroes were leaders in the Civil war, and fought for the North and the South. They were two strong men that were oddly different generals. They represented the strengths of two conflicting currents in society that came to a final collision.
General Lee and General Grant were both remarkable war heroes during the Civil War; both leading their respective sides. Although both men experienced success in the military, they both emerged from incredibly different walks of life. Lee was from the South, and Grant, the North. Their opposite birthplaces resulted in Lee fighting for Southern secession and Grant fighting to preserve the Union and eventually, abolishing slavery in America. Today, we remember these generals and their heroic leadership during the perils of the 1860s.
After the Civil War most people saw Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant as heroes. Both men symbolize the two forces which fought in the Civil War (“Lee and Grant”, 1). Even though both men were brilliant generals, Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865 and was also defeated at Gettysburg, one of the most known battles in 1863. After the Civil War, Lee went on to become president of Washington College, and Grant, president of the United States (“Robert E.Lee” and “Ulysses S. Grant”, 1). Lee and Grant were similar in their leadership styles, but also diverse in terms of military strategies.
Even though Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant were opposing generals during the Civil War, and seemed to be anything but different, they were more similar in ways you would not think of. Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant are similar because, they both were very passionate about what they were fighting for, they also shared the same determination through all challenges they faced, and they also shared the ability to reconcile after the war was over.
While reading the essay Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrast, I learned a lot about two men who were very important in American history. For this journal entry, it was hard to decide who I agreed with. Both were fighters who won battles. Both were influential, bold men. Lee was definitely the better representative. In the end, however, Grant should be seen as the better general in the essay. In my opinion no other person, other than Lincoln, did more to win the war than Grant. His key vision helped him to maximize his advantages and Lee’s disadvantages. He kept forcing Lee to fight and to continue fighting without rest. Grant found away to replace his losses, while Lee could not. At the end, this is what proved the difference between the two
There was a purpose for Catton comparing Grant and Lee and also contrasting them. Some people are very different from each other, yet also quite similar. This was Grant and Lee, two completely different men who had lots of similarities.
From 1861 to 1865 the United States was locked in a war to see if, as President Abraham Lincoln said, a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal can long endure. The war pitted north against south and divided families. Many were killed and everyone was affected but even after the surrender had been signed the divided still existed. Reconstruction was a period of time just as important as the Civil War, as it was a time in which all the pieces had to be picked up and the country brought back together. Throughout the midst of both of these times, strong leaders were needed to keep order and discipline. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee were two of these men. Even though they had different backgrounds and differing opinions both men had a significant impact on the Civil War and the years to follow.
It no secret that General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee had their differences. Ranging from appearance to actions they hardly shared any similarities. This makes them both easily comparable. Both had their ups and their downs, but in the end, General Robert E. Lee was the best general overall.
Abraham Lincoln wanted to free slaves so he was on the north side and the south general Robert e. lee was with the south for slavery and the north won the civil war and all the slaves were freed and that’s how Abraham Lincoln became one of the famous presidents there was in the history And Robert E.Lee was a famous confederate general that is famous in the south he led the south to fight the north he had strategy to win the wart while Mary and the children spent their lives on Mary’s father’s plantation Lee stayed committed to his military obligations. His Army loyalties moved him around the
In the two pictures, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee reveal the differences between the two by their appearance. Their age, location, and dress in the pictures show the contrasts in their beliefs and character. Grant appears much younger than Lee, showing not only the 15 year gap between them, but also the gap in beliefs. Grant was born on the Western Frontier and believed in the modern idea of democracy as opposed to Lee who was born in old America believing the outdated aristocratic views. Next, the locations of their pictures show their personalities. Grant is photographed outside near a tent, leaning on a tree, proving the tough, authentic vibe he emitted. He is shown as down to earth and equal to all. Lee is photographed against a
By the end of the Civil War, much of the country thought of General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant as personal heroes. Despite the outcome of the war, both the Union and the Confederates looked towards their leader with admiration. Both men were viewed as spectacular fighters, who were smart and strategic during the war. However, despite similarities between the two Civil War generals their differences in background experiences, personality traits, and personal underlying aspirations made them not only opposites of each other but the perfect champion for the people they were chosen to lead.
Lee lived in a society, which could not accept the change. He believed in the aristocracy. His way of life had come through knighthood and the English country squire. On the other hand, Grant stood for democracy. He believed in self-reliance. Moreover, he believed life was a competition and everyone has a chance to show how far one person can rise.