Time Period: 19th Century

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Early in 1861 Robert E. Lee, a career military officer, turned down an offer to head the U.S. Army.  He did so in spite of being opposed to secession and ambivalent over slavery.  Lee was not willing to take up arms against his fellow Virginians, and he believed that the United States did not have the constitutional power to impose its will on states.  Lee instead became the leading Confederate general of the war and one of the most respected tacticians in the history of warfare.  Lee was of course not alone in his decision.  Thousands of people had to decide which side to take during the war—or whether to fight at all.  In far-away Oregon, for example, the Civil War splintered the powerful Democratic Party.  The Civil War settled two great issues that had been left unsettled at the Constitutional Convention two generations before: the extent of states’ rights and the future of slavery.  But these were also questions for individuals, questions that proved anguishing for many.  People of good faith—leaders and ordinary citizens—still grapple with conflicting loyalties and principles.

The 1861: Year of Decision topic is scheduled for completion in 2010. Subtopic narrative and hyperlinks to documents, maps, data, and websites will be posted during the 2009-10 academic year.

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