Robert E. Lee

Article summary

Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general whose early actions in the American Civil War led to his appointment as the overall commander of the Confederate States Army near the end of the war. He led the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most powerful army, from 1862 until its surrender in 1865, earning a reputation as one of the war's most skilled tacticians. A son of Revolutionary War officer Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, of the Lee family of Virginia, Lee was a top graduate of the United States Military Academy and an exceptional officer and military engineer in the United States Army for 32 years. He served across the United States, distinguished himself during the Mexican–American War, and was Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. He married Mary Anna Custis, great-granddaughter of George Washington's wife Martha. While he stated that he opposed slavery from a philosophical perspective, he supported its legality and enslaved hundreds. When Virginia declared its secession from the Union in 1861, Lee chose to follow his home state, despite his desire for the country to remain intact and an offer of a senior Union command. During the first year of the Civil War, he served in minor combat operations and as a senior military adviser to Confederate president Jefferson Davis.…

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1807-01-19 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1871 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of death: 1829-07-26 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of death: 1873-10-15 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of death: 1862 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
6. publication date: 1866 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1807-01-19". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1871". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of death is "1829-07-26". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of death is "1873-10-15". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of death is "1862". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. The record states that the publication date is "1866". What evidence would count against this claim?
8. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
9. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377951238