Robert E. Lee was considered by many to be an amazing man of character, determination, and talent. Confederate President Jefferson Davis hired him as his assistant for the war. Soon he was commanding the Army of Northern Virginia, and he commanded until his men could fight no more. In the end, he resigned with dignity and asked his men to do the same.
Ulysses S. Grant was a warrior, hero, and a compassionate soldier. Grant led the Union army to victory during the Civil War. The North thought of him as a hero for ending the Civil War and elected him president of the United States.
Confucius was born in 551 B.C. There was great suffering and chaos during this time in China. He wanted to devote his life to relieving the suffering he saw and believed government reform was needed. He devoted his life to making this reform occur.
More men lost their lives during the battles of the Civil War than in any other war involving the United States. No one suspected that it would last four long years. At the beginning of the war, the battles were fought in southern territory. Each conflict brought more death and despair. In the end, the South surrendered, but everyone actually lost. Together, everyone faced the tremendous challenge of forgiving each other and rebuilding the nation.
In 1939, another war that would encompass the world began in Europe. World War II began as a conflict of beliefs concerning government among countries in Europe. The United States stayed on the sidelines, unwilling to become involved in the war until Japan attacked a Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Eleanor Roosevelt lived during an exciting time. Women had just gained the right to vote. As a first lady, she made her own agenda and gave her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, plenty of advice. She stood up for the weak and advocated for equal rights regardless of gender or skin color.
Abolitionist John Brown raises a small army of men in the hopes of starting a slave revolt and leads his men to Harper’s Ferry to take over the United States arsenal. Colonel Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant Jeb Stuart are sent by President Buchanan to put down the uprising. In the end, John Brown is captured, tried, and convicted of treason.
Martin Luther King Jr. grew up knowing that there needed to be a change in the way that African Americans were treated, and he held a dream from the time he was a young boy that he would help make that change happen. Unlike most of the activists in the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. was committed to nonviolence.
Moctezuma was the most famous ruler of the powerful Aztec empire. After leading the Aztecs for 17 years as a fair leader, Moctezuma’s reign came to a dramatic close. The Spanish explorer Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztecs and Moctezuma died.
Christopher Columbus set out on August 3, 1492, to find the East by sailing west. Over the course of a few years, he convinced the king and queen of Spain to pay for his trip, promising them fame and riches in return. Columbus discovered more than he bargained for—he had found a new continent.
The Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs were three groups of people found living in the ancient Americas. Though they were clearly alike, they were also unique. All three civilizations ended when Spanish explorers moved into the Americas.
Who were the Civil War leaders, how did they attain their positions, and why did they fight? As the details of their lives unfold, these men become more than just names from history.
