Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee may not be the most well-liked figure in American history, but he became known as a skilled tactician. He fought alongside the Confederacy during the American Civil War as a general and left the army, which he had been serving for 36 years, to take command of Virginia’s forces.

Although he believed slavery was inherently wrong, he blamed the abolitionist for its problems and thought that the laws of the Confederacy regarding it were better. But perhaps most importantly, Lee believed in fighting for his country. He eventually became the president of Washington College, later named after him (Washington and Lee University).