U.S Grant - Appomattox Lee surrender - History

During the civil war, the South had Robert E. Lee leading its armies right from the very beginning. However, President Lincoln did not find a general who could succeed for the North until he found Ulysses S. Grant. Lincoln tried and rejected six generals before he found US Grant. Although these generals possessed leadership skills and military know-how, most had no skill at winning battles. Grant was a quiet, average, humble 39-year-old from West Point whose persistence and strength of character enabled him to get the job done.
In the Eastern Theatre of War, the union were continually on the losing side and made little progress. Only U.S Grant is making significant progress and delivering major victories in the Western Theatre. In 1864, Lincoln finally finds U.S Grant and congress gives him the rank of lieutenant General (3 Star) last held by George Washington himself. The war will end quickly in a year after U.S Grant's appointment, as the General of all Union armies.
"And while Lincoln set the course, it was Grant who sailed the ship."

[@chaspfrank]

Fun Fact: The farm where 1st Bull Run was fought in 1861 was owned by Wilmer McLean. After that battle, McLean moved his family "way out west in Virginia" to be away from all of the fighting. He bought a house in a little town call Appomattox, and it was in this house that Grant accepted Lee's surrender. So the war started in his yard, and ended in his parlor.

[@KingDavid-vj6uy]

Wow what are the odds 😂😂. History is so awesome studying rn to become a teacher thx for this

[@thatdoyleguy]

Yep, I watched Ken Burn's Civil War, too.

[@jtgd]

@@thatdoyleguy wish i could have the narrator narrate my life

[@thatnnoob6109]

Yes I watched oversimplified so I know this. ;-;

[@Cameramans_friend]

Hurry up martha,there's another war out here --Wilmer McLean

[@KibuFox]

Fun Fact: General Grant, and Confederate General Longstreet, were best of friends. After the war, Grant appointed Longstreet to a number of positions within his own cabinet and presidency. Longstreet would go on to work for Teddy Roosevelt, and William McKinley in their presidencies, even being appointed the U.S. Marshal (highest law enforcement officer in the country) for the state of Georgia.

[@orion3706]

He also served as US Ambassador to France under Grant.

[@mr.tobacco1708]

Well, Grant was married to Longstreet's cousin and Longstreet was Grant's groomsman at the wedding.

[@Ddgi-u73]

Fun fact, many of the generals on both sides served together, went to school together and were personal friends. The civil war was an intensely personal war, where friends and acquaintances looked at each other through a rifle sight. It was an interesting time to be alive.

[@Apollo-tj1vm]

​@Ddgi-u73 pretty much all the generals knew each other from west point.

[@thewestisthebest6608]

When Lee saw General Parker he was a bit shocked. Parker was the first Native American general in American history and a close friend of Grant’s. Lee then walked over to Parker and outstretched his hand saying “At least there is one real American here.” General Parker shook Lee’s hand and replied “We are all Americans here.”

[@dhdusd]

What is your source for that?

[@williamdavis2960]

@@dhdusd Arthur C. Parker, The Life of General Ely S. Parker: Last Grand Sachem of the Iroquois and General Grant's Military Secretary Buffalo, New York: Buffalo Historical Society, 1919, p. 133

[@SStupendous]

@@dhdusd Can't tell if you're genuinely interested or want to challenge the information

[@dhdusd]

Why, do you have another source that corroborates? I've read volumes on Lee and never heard of this. Sounds contrived.

[@thewestisthebest6608]

@@dhdusd a lot of the stuff written about Lee is lost cause myth propaganda designed to make Lee seem like a hero and Grant and his staff like a bunch of drunken fools They probably left this out since it made Lee look bad and Grant and his staff good. Lost cause myth writers can’t have that in their books on Lee

[@tsipher]

Grant telling his men to not celebrate was a quality of humility but also, it was a tragic war. Granted, all wars are tragic but this war was more of mourning then a sense of pride after the victory.

[@cobytang]

Brothers fighting brothers, Northern and Southern Americans dying over the rights of large plantation owners' ownership of human beings to work their property and get filthy rich off of them. The 99.9% of Americans fighting over the rights of the 0.1% of Americans.

[@BoopSnoot]

This wasn't compassion. The Union knew that they had no moral high ground here. The states joined the Union voluntarily, and like the Mafia the Union's position was that you can't leave. They also knew that the South had sympathy because they were literally fighting the same fight that founded the country, against unjust taxation in a revolutionary war. So job #1 came to be to give the war some kind of moral justification, and so history was rewritten that racist white Northerners were actually dying to free black slaves, which doesn't pass the smell test.

[@cobytang]

@@BoopSnoot "unjust taxation" XD don't make me laugh. The greatest joke of the century, the South fighting against taxation🤣🤣

[@tsipher]

@@cobytang or the South was fighting for Civil Liberties despite wanting to hold onto a belief that infringes on the civil liberties of all humans.

[@tsipher]

@@BoopSnoot the problem with your argument of "racist white Northerners" is that you are generalizing. I'm not saying there wasn't racists in the North, there were, but there's no way of truly knowing how many of the 300k in the Union were racist. Further proof of that was Robert Gould Shaw

[@David-fc9my]

unconditional surrender grant

[@brianwalsh1401]

You have to admit that's a great nickname for his initials. I'm glad he softened up with it by the end of the war and was able to create the surrender him and Lincoln came up with. It was much better for everyone given there was a lot of animosity given how brutal the war was.

[@claudeyaz]

Well it could have easily became a guerilla war....or easily could have been a "great terror," level of violence and killings

[@DarthVaderReturns1]

my two faorite generals surrendered to grant at that ginale moment of the war and longstreet told lee we have to surrender lee was like id die a thousand deaths than surrender to grant but longstreet convinced lee to surrender ;ee and longstreet were friends longstreet was grants best man at his wedding grant and longstreet were both friends

[@Stephen-wb3wf]

@@DarthVaderReturns1This is so wrong it would bother me if I didn't say anything. When Lee received Grants letter offering to meet and negotiate the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia he handed Longstreet the letter without saying anything then Longstreet read it and said NOT YET. Soon after Lee received word from General Gordon that he had "fought my corps to a frazzle" and could do nothing nothing without help of the majority of Longstreet’s troops, who were not able to support because it would mean leaving open a crucial section of the front. Lee then said "Then there is nothing left for me to do but to go and see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths." This statement referred to the famous Shakespeare line "A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once." Before he rode through the lines... Longstreet told Lee that even though he thought Grant would give good terms, if he didn't Lee shouldn't hesitate to leave the meeting and continue the fight. If Lee and Longstreet are your two favorite Generals then learn more about them and what they actually did don't disrepect Darth Caedus by telling incorrect history.

[@gamerstheater1187]

I always thought that was a joke by Oversimplified

[@gavinsims2234]

It’s amazing how they were able to resolve the matter like true gentlemen. Grant did not belittle Lee for surrendering and treated him and his men respectfully and the same with Lee as well.

[@oceanofoil]

680,000 dead wasn't exactly courteous.

[@Anomaly-uz9pr]

If they settled this disaster of a war like gentlemen it would never have happened and the south would have and should have accepted slavery needed to go and not rebelled.

[@SStupendous]

@@oceanofoil That's a figure estimated over a century ago. It's believed at least 820,000 casualties were formed. Civillian numbers could take that to over a million people. We're talking about the ENDING of the conflict.

[@TheNightWatcher1385]

@@Anomaly-uz9pr It’s not fair to place the blame for a war on the men who fight on the front lines. The blame belongs with the leaders who start said war. The men on the ground are simply doing their duty.

[@Anomaly-uz9pr]

@@TheNightWatcher1385 I’m a soldier I know this these generals are some of the leaders they supported the political aspects of the confederacy They supported slavery and keeping the way of life they thought was justified but it doesn’t make them correct I had family on both sides of the civil war they killed each other over this

[@allenboyer2207]

In a letter home to his parents, my great-grandfather writes about how his cavalry unit is dispatched to Appomattox. The letter is dated around the time of this meeting. However, my great-grandfather lost his horse in a battle, and thus missed out on attending this meeting.

[@fredericfrancoischopin1178]

Such as shame would’ve been awesome to have a relative who witness history guessing by your comment he didn’t die in war hope he got to live a happy live

[@allenboyer2207]

@@fredericfrancoischopin1178 He did. :)

[@rc59191]

One of my 3rd great grandpas was actually there with the 1st New York Light Artillery.

[@tomarsandbeyond]

@@rc59191 I had a 3rd great grandfather there too at Appomattox and a 6th cousin US Grant

[@d.owczarzak6888]

What regiment ?

[@metalrocker627]

The most important lesson to be learned here: Be Dignified in Defeat, and be Gracious in Victory. ✌🏼

[@dalepeto9620]

Maybe if the French had learned that lesson at the end of WW I, WE could have avoided WW II

[@metalrocker627]

@@dalepeto9620 EXACTLY!!! THANK YOU!!!! 🙏🏼

[@JohnSmith-rw8uh]

@@dalepeto9620 It wasnt just the french fault. dont blame everything on them

[@TheLeagueOfTheKeeprsOfTheBriar]

Losers say nothing and winners say less

[@metalrocker627]

@@JohnSmith-rw8uh The way they treated Germany after WW1, yeah it was.

[@TheOlpaddywalsh]

The origional terms did not allow enlisted men to keep their horses. After Lee asked for a clarification on this point, Grant admitted he didn't realize how many confederate soldiers had their personal horses with them, and changed the terms without Lee having to formally ask. This was an amazing gesture on Grant's part

[@jeremybstudentpilot5315]

They should have taken the horses. They went on to terrorize freedmen.

[@Dirtpoorhomesteader]

@@jeremybstudentpilot5315when a war concludes you have the option of rubbing salt in the wound, military tribunals and the like. History has shown this usually sows the seeds of the next war.

[@Francis-m2d]

@@jeremybstudentpilot5315 Get over it.

[@jeremybstudentpilot5315]

@@Francis-m2d well I will tell you to get over oppression.

[@Michael-yl2iq]

@@jeremybstudentpilot5315 You really think the horses made the difference in those individual's desires?

[@DarkLord-7]

If I recall correctly in this surrender at Appomattox, Lee mentioned that his men were starving, so Grant gave the order to send food to Lee's men. Doing so allowed for negotiations to run more smoothly.

[@Zinj1000]

Grant asked how many men Lee had, and if they needed rations. Lee told him he had no idea how many men he still had, but that he was sure they were all hungry.

[@Tacofiend92]

Grant was very gracious in his treatment of lee and the defeated confederate soldiers

[@outdoorlife5396]

He was going on Lincoln's recommendations. That said, I have always thought that, if he had lived, race relations, a lot of things would be better even today.

[@brianwalsh1401]

Lincoln and Grant thought by treating them more than fairly, given what they had wrought, the country could begin the healing process. Wise men.

[@outdoorlife5396]

@@brianwalsh1401 I agree, but I really thing that letting the CSA leaders vote again was a down fall. They just started JC laws and had the KKK to enforce them. Lincoln had a good idea

[@pyromania1018]

In hindsight, they didn't deserve such magnanimity. After the surrender, Lee made a speech to his men essentially saying that he only lost because of sheer numbers; and the former rebels made up a bunch of romanticist BS to tarnish Grant's reputation while painting themselves as "tragic heroes" when they were anything but. They should've been hanged.

[@outdoorlife5396]

@@pyromania1018 What Lee said was, he surrendered to Lincoln's kindness as much as Grant's numbers. After the war he did a try as a leader to mend relations between the north and south. That said, the revisionist could not say that the couldn't say they died for slavery so they created the great lost cause. Against all odds, they knew they couldn't wend. It was really got going by the UDC and the SCV. The south was hit so hard during the war they couldn't stand on there on til about 1900, the CW vets were dying out and the statues went up. But if you notice the ones who got all the crap started, excused themselves with the 20 slave law, along with being in the rear to bring up supplies for the army. I think hanging would have just been to much, it would have made a guerilla war.

[@CryptoX-kr3wu]

Just last year, I had the unique opportunity to visit Grant’s Tomb in New York City. I’ve had a deep interest in the Civil War all my life; since I was in elementary school. Now here I was 40 years later standing inside the tomb of Grant himself. It was incredible.

[@jeromemark2509]

The Man that saved the Union!

[@derinderruheliegt]

Have always wondered who’s buried there.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Lee was a fellow graduate of West Point like Grant. He was a graduate in 1829 though, whereas Grant graduated in 1843. Lee graduated 2nd in class at West Point, while Grant only graduated 21st in his class.

[@masterplokoon8803]

And yet Grant was a far better strategist.

[@brianwalsh1401]

Only 21st? That's pretty good. Also intelligence can't be the only prerequisite for success in life. There are a lot of factors.

[@ethanweeter2732]

@@brianwalsh1401 I know, but standing might mean more at a military school in terms of discipline, though Grant was obviously a good General himself.

[@masterplokoon8803]

@@ethanweeter2732 there is a big diference between being the best in the class and being the best in performing the job. Those two do not always coincide and Lee and Grant are the perfect example.

[@chrismartin8829]

@@brianwalsh1401 21st out of 39. So about middle of his class.

[@AeonAxisProductions]

My favorite part of the surrender, is that they purposefully gave the white flag to chamberlain, because lee really respected him

[@michellekinder3051]

Chamberlain ordered the soldiers salute from the northern soldiers to the southern. He and Grant both wanted them all to be brought together as Americans

[@aliveinhistory7521]

I didn't know that. Thanks

[@golfhound]

Grant was aware of Chamberlain's education, being a college professor, which is why Grant wanted him to witness the surrender ceremony. He knew Chamberlain would write a very scholarly piece as a matter of military record. So Grant knew the event would be recorded accurately as a historical record. Chamberlain was a one star General at the time.

[@crazybasser7066]

Also Chamberlain was feared to be mortaly wounded at the Battle of Petersburg and I believe that's when they promoted him to General. The crazy thing is he went on to live a long life only to eventually pass away due to his wound.@golfhound

[@rc59191]

​@@crazybasser7066 I think Chamberlain is considered the last casualty of the war.

[@R4Y2k]

"War does not end when people put down their guns. It ends when they reconcile. Until then, war has only paused"

[@conservativetexan2289]

Before Grant, Lincoln wanted Lee to lead the union. Lee denied. He was to loyal to his home of Virginia.

[@michellekinder3051]

Then Sam Houston was asked. He denied but would not take up arms against the Union. I sometimes wonder how different all would have turned out if Houston did take command. He himself led the Texas army against the Mexican army and won even though he was greatly outnumbered

[@conservativetexan2289]

@@michellekinder3051 yes sir! I’m from Texas my family fought in the Texas Revolution. in the final battle of San Jacinto. His name was Ambrosio Rodriguez and was good friends with general Sam Houston.

[@randomtraveler9854]

Most Southern generals only joined the Confederate Army because their state seceded. It was more important to serve their state than country. If Virginia didn't secede there's a good chance the commander of the army of the Potomac would have been Robert E. Lee.

[@conservativetexan2289]

@steven smith protecting your land, home and family makes you a traitor? Sounds like something today’s government would say.

[@Qba86]

​​@@conservativetexan2289 Just keep in mind that there would be no need for said defense had the southern planter class not started a war so that they could keep people as property. Or to be more precise, so that they could expand the institution of slavery to new territories and thus fortify their economic and political dominance. Which is actually even worse.

[@crazyman8472]

“With malice toward none, and charity towards all…” 😇

[@dvanb-ke2qn]

When Americans fight Americans their is no winner...let us never divide again!!

[@alexandergriffith1825]

Lee also married into George Washington's descendant.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

Lee’s wife was Washington’s granddaughter

[@alexandergriffith1825]

@@JohnnyRebKy Exactly. Which came with some profitable perks.

[@kommando5562]

His dad signed the Declaration of Independence and was Washingtons best horse soldier

[@Ranger215able]

I love how Lee, upon discovering Parker to be a Seneca, remarks, "It is good to have one real American among us." To which Parker replied, "We are all Americans.".

[@JohnSmith-rw8uh]

White Americans are really all from Europe.

[@F1lmtwit]

🎶 Away down South in the land of traitors, rattlesnakes and alligators 🎶 Right away! Come away! Right away! Right away, come away! 🎶 Where cotton’s king and men are chattels Union boys will win the battles . . .

[@madbutcher1277]

you horror af a man

[@ronaldshank7589]

...and then, less than 5 days later, President Lincoln was shot in the Ford Theatre, while watching the play "Our American Cousin", by John Wilkes Booth...and died the next morning. The Northern part of the United States was plunged into sorrow... Again.

[@tushkafilms1061]

1:02 the South had Indian officers and generals as well, General Stand Watie was the last Confederate General to surrender… and was a full blood Indian. Two of my great uncles were full Colonels, who were Indian and commanded all Indian Confederate regiments. The South also had Hispanic, Jewish and even Asian soldiers.

[@garyowen9044]

Worst theatrical beards ever.

[@chaosXP3RT]

I'm so glad they're finally doing Grant justice. I'm a reading a biography about him right now. The meeting with Grant and Lee was actually a little more awkward in real life, but it doesn't make for dramatic TV. I still think Lee is overrated. He was pretty bitter and snobbish at the meeting at Appomattox, but he has no choice as his army had almost completely melted away around after the retreat from Petersburg.

[@listenchump4041]

I agree. Grant has been denigrated and Lee overrated by Lost Cause historians (and ultimately collective memory) since the war. We hear that Lee was great but only lost to Grant's butchering of countless soldiers. In reality, Grant proved great at strategy and operations. While he was capturing Vicksburg in an incredible operation with feints and dashes, Lee was sending his men charging in the open at Gettysburg in a frontal assault that stood no chance, with a very poor strategy (going into Pennsylvania). Bonekemper's books on this are good.

[@Emil.Fontanot]

I actually believe that Grant is overrated while Lee has received much slandering lately, mostly for political reasons. Lee gets called old school but his great inspiration was Napoleon. It's worthy to notice that one of the greatest generals ever, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, mastermind of Prussia's great victories, was Napoleon's best student in the art of war. Except for Pickett's charge, Lee did few mistakes and won incredible victories against great odds. He was facing bad commanders most of the time but the same can be said of Grant(except for Bragg, who was capable, but plagued by insubordination). Vicksburg was brilliant but Pemberton was basically defeating himself while Joe Johnston was extremely passive. In the Overland campaign, Lee showed more skill than Grant time and time again, despite the latter having a 2 to 1 advantage in numbers. Grant only outmaneuvered Lee with the Passage of the James. Lee had Pickett's charge, but Grant had the useless and bloody assaults on Vicksburg and Cold Harbor. Shiloh was also a total fuck up.

[@marks665]

@@Emil.Fontanot Grant may have had the advantage in numbers, but Lee had advantages of knowing the terrain better, having Virginian civilians feed him intel, and being on the defensive and able to entrench their positions. It's really absurd how people claim Lee is a military genius because he exploited his advantages, while at the same time arguing Grant is pedestrian because he exploited his advantages. And yes, Lee was old school. You pretty much admit as much when you say his inspiration was Napoleon. The Napoleonic wars ended almost half a century before the Civil War. Also, Moltke was an innovator, he didn't just use outdated Napoleonic strategies like Lee did.

[@Emil.Fontanot]

@@marks665 you totally ignored my other points on Grant's mistakes. It's not just a question of numbers. Lee was just a better general. Btw, Lee wasn't a military genius, only a few people in history were. In the Overland campaign Grant made mistake after mistake. Failing to use his numerous cavalry forces for reconnaissance and screening in the Wilderness. In this battle he got hit in the flanks two times. If he didn't have such a bigger army, he would have been destroyed. Then he continued to make useless and bloody assaults at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor when he just could have outflanked Lee like Sherman was doing in the Atlanta campaign. In the Petersburg campaign, he basically won an attrition battle through numbers. Only once, Grant outmaneuvered and deceived Lee with the Passage of the James, only to throw away his chance to victory by failing to defeat Beauregard, despite the latter being outnumbered more than 3:1 and having some really bad forces. No, Moltke didn't innovate anything, at least on an operational level, he was just using Napoleon's methods. He innovated stuff in the organization of the army but that was just natural, armies had gotten bigger and technologies had changed. Grant's own masterpiece was his most Napoleonic campaign(Vicksburg), so no, Napoleon wasn't outdated, everyone took inspiration from him.

[@marks665]

@@Emil.Fontanot Do you even hear yourself? "Lee wasn't old school, he followed doctrine from 50 years earlier. Moltke wasn't an innovator, he just innovated stuff." Look, Lee was a good tactician. Grant was a good strategist. While Lee was always thinking "how can I win this battle," Grant was always thinking "how can I win this war." You claim that Lee's only real mistake was Pickett's charge, but that's thinking small picture. The mistake there was invading the North, a mistake Lee had already made, and should have leaned from. Upon leaving Virginia, Lee loses some of his biggest advantages, and it cost him dearly both times. He was never going to threaten Washington, it was one of the most heavily fortified cities on earth at the time. Lee could have instead sent troops to aid in Vicksburg, which ended up being an absolutely crushing strategic defeat for the confederates. Lee's poor strategic thinking led to losing control of the Mississippi river in the west, and vast, irreplaceable casualties in the east.

[@byron8657]

Grant and Lee thought formidable enemy during the American Civil War have deep yearning for peace and great respect for each other! Salute! K

[@Michael-yl2iq]

Lee was pleased with the generosity of Grant's terms of surrender, but didn't respect Grant as a general.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

They couldn’t find a actor that looks more like Lee than that ?

[@matthewtew3182]

Don't look like grant either

[@acertainscientificloli6392]

looks more like sherman

[@alikazerani]

@@matthewtew3182 Agreed, but the actor's cool. He really grew on me.

[@alikazerani]

This Lee felt ridiculous. He looks like Beck Bennett with an over-long fake beard. And his accent was bizarre. (Did they speak like that in Virginia? The Confederate officers in this thing all sounded preposterous.) And somehow I doubt Lee would have gone for this strange daydreamy gaze-at-the-wall routine at Appomattox.

[@Dirtpoorhomesteader]

Too many Do-Nuts to be the real Lee

[@rngchamp]

Grant is a legend and thanks to him America is they way it is today, thank you General/ President Grant !

[@zackthebongripper7274]

America has become a federal centralized socialist disaster. Technically, after November 3rd 2020 it no longer exists. You are now controlled by a "VICHY GOVERNMENT" which in turn is controlled by the chicoms, bankers and globalists. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[@jake2001c]

@@zackthebongripper7274 ok there bud maybe lay off the weed for a little bit, you clearly can’t handle it

[@zackthebongripper7274]

@@jake2001c Not an argument. Come back when you can address my points in detail. Until then you lose.

[@JoRdi-ul4xg]

@@zackthebongripper7274 i don't think anyone would want to waste their time on your bullshit

[@marknewton6984]

You LIKE the way things are now?

[@stonewalljackson5692]

Y'all need someone older to depict Lee, that reenactor looks nothing like him.

[@peterschilling2724]

Fun fact: Grant was an Ardent abolitionist.his father-in law had granted him I slave when he married he tired to free him immediately but the law of the state he was living in at the time stated that he had to pay a “manumission fee.” Grant being poor could not afford it, however he saved up for a year and freed that slave as soon as he had the money. During the time which he was a slave Grant would not let that man work on his farm because he thought it was morally wrong to profit off his labor. After the slave was freed he and Grant remained life long friends. Double fun fact. Fredrick Douglas gave a eulogy at grants funeral and said he was “ “a man too broad for prejudice, too humane to despise the humblest, too great to be small at any point”. Triple fun fact Grant’s parents refused to attend his wedding because that family of the girl he was marrying owned slaves. Quadruple fun fact: Robert E Lee was know by his contemporaries to be an especially brutal slave master. Summary: The virgin lee vs the chad Grant

[@pyromania1018]

When Lee's father-in-law died, his will stipulated that his slaves should be freed. Lee forged it to say "in 5 years", but when the deadline came close, he tried to extend it in a court case, as everyone who knew him expected him to honor it, even fellow slaveowners. The (pro-slavery, white supremacist) judge called him out on his BS and ordered him to abide by the will, but he kept dithering and making excuses, then used the war to distract people from the issue, to the disgust of his contemporaries. One slave got fed up and ran away, and when he was brought back, he was flogged and covered in salt water to make the wounds hurt more.

[@mrcheeto1006]

Is this true?

[@eslnoob191]

Another interesting fact: Arlington National Cemetery is on Robert E. Lee's plantation. The government buried the war dead there to forever say to Lee: "These men died because of you."

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

​​@@mrcheeto1006partially. It's only slightly embellished

[@marknewton6984]

Grant built a barn in Ohio with slave labor.

[@anthonyjohnson6199]

Lee coasted on a few easy victories he got over comedically incompetent generals who weren't willing to fully commit to battle. Once he fought someone who was actually willing to fight back and more concerned with winning the war and ending the pointless bloodshed perpetuated by rich aristocrats who thought they should be allowed to own people he collapsed like a house of cards.

[@robrussell5329]

I think Lee was an excellent warrior, and worthy of his military respect. But he was a Virginian and slave owner. Also a relic from times past (this video...) He did not fit the Union mold.

[@9qst68]

Usually when a northern army was beaten or stalled in a battle they'd retire. Grant just kept coming he'd be stopped at a battle and would execute a flanking maneuver to the left. Forcing Lee to keep falling back towards Richmond.

[@leekessler3995]

Grants army was well fed, well provisioned, and always reinforced by fresh troops. Lee’s army was literally starving. The first thing the Union troops did at Appomattox was set up mess tents and feed the rebel soldiers.

[@anthonyjohnson6199]

@@leekessler3995 What kind of idiot commits themselves to a battle knowing they are under supplied and his troops are malnourished. Some vain glorious idiot. Basic warfare, an army fights on its belly.

[@jdotoz]

​@@robrussell5329Lee was unsuited to the mission he took on. He achieved costly tactical victories when he needed to conserve his force.

[@travonlomax5906]

So glad the south lost... 🙌 😌 ☺️ 🙏

[@nj490]

not being tough on racists was a foolish mistake

[@slpplz]

Everyone was racist in the 1860s.

[@762infidel]

says the fucking democrat?!?!?!?!

[@msomayya2828]

lincon and grant the greatest men in history

[@rc59191]

Lincoln wasn't a saint dude multiple times he violated the Constitution, people's right's and planned on sending all the freed slave's back to Africa that's why Liberia exists.

[@davidherb8224]

George Washington too

[@user-bz5io6ph8w]

Despite all of this generousity, the South formed the KKK and continued oppression of blacks with segregation. It still continues to thia day with Confederate flags hidden behind "heritage" and statues of sessionist leaders all over the south

[@ManuR-l4m]

Dont wanna talk Grant down. But he was just the next in a long list of the commanders of the northern army. And he just happened to be in command when the south was done. He certainly did better than some of his predecessors. But he gets overpraised in this documentary. The plan that defeated the south actually was the one from Winfield Scott. The legend who already served as brigadier general in the war of 1812. First his plan was laughed at and most thought the CSA would be defeated quickly. Scott already knew that this will take some years and made his anaconda plan. After everyone else accepted the fact they realized Scotts plan of strangling the CSA by blocade and cutting through its territory. It was the Mississippi campaign and the buring of Atlanta, Richmond and other important CSA cities that broke their neck. Lee never was defeated in a decisive battle to end the war. The war was decided behind his back. Grant just came to the honor of bringing the terms. And that he did well, as explained.

[@derps8690]

i mean sure, the anaconda plan definitely played a massive part in the eventual downfall of the confederacy, but mind you all the stuff you mentioned later, aka the mississippi campaign, the capture of atlanta, richmond, etc... that was grant. whilst sherman is often credited with capturing atlanta/savannah and the rest of the carolinas, he did so under grants orders. grant's strategy when he took over was to hit the confederacy on every single front, giving them absolutely zero chance to recover or transfer divisions to different theatres as they had been doing throughout the war, most notably at chickamauga and forts henry/donelson. not to mention, grant also decisively beat the confederates out of kentucky, tennessee and mississippi, and successfully cut the confederacy in two by capturing all the major strongholds along the mississippi river with the exception of new orleans. so yes... whilst scott's plan was very effective (and wasn't laughed at ever... not sure where you read that... in fact, the war department implemented scott's plan almost immediately, the issue however was that the union didn't possess a navy large enough to blockade the entirety of the confederacy), grant absolutely deserves to be credited with breaking the confederacy's neck.

[@publius1252]

'" A patrician of the Virginia caste society..." who fought to defend the right to own other human beings as chattels.

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

What about it? Would you say the same thing about the Founding Fathers for whom allowed the continuation of owning human beings as chattel?

[@JohnSmith-rw8uh]

@@ARyan-yk9qh Yes. Should have stayed with England

[@odysseusrex5908]

From the description, "During the civil war, the South had Robert E. Lee leading its armies right from the very beginning." No, that is completely untrue. Lee did not have a field command until the Seven Days Battles in 1862. Before that he was just Jefferson Davis's military advisor. His command was solely over the Army of Northern Virginia. Davis refused to appoint a general in chief over all Confederate armies. The Confederate Congress did finally force him to appoint Lee to that role, but it was in 1865, when it was far too late to make any difference.

[@neilreid2298]

More than 150 years since this happened, and I feel emotional about this.

[@seththomas9105]

Two of my Great-Great-Grandfathers rode with Grant at Vicksburg. Iowa Cav. hurrah!

[@jenhaley]

Grant knew what was coming with the Crimean War and WWI.

[@lewisbreland]

Crimean War came a decade before the Civil War. But yes, he was in tune with the changing times militarily.

[@rc59191]

Him and Longstreet were the only ones who really understood the war they were fighting.

[@chaspfrank]

@@rc59191 Longstreet was the Best Man at Grants wedding to Julia Dent.

[@WanderingLibertarian]

@@chaspfrank Yeah they were pretty good friends and would serve alongside each other in government during Grants presidency. A very uncommon friendship

[@bikesnippets]

Letting the federated leadership walk away free, instead of prosecuting and punishing their traitorous actions , was an error of judgement of catastrophic proportions. The nation is still paying for that error today.

[@matthewskudzienski888]

The people were Celebrating that Robert E Lee and his army we’re surrendering from general grant American Civil War had ended in 1865 and the slavery was over

[@youngganhao2396]

This war created a lot of outlaws, especially Jesse James

[@Shatamx]

Tombstone as well was a big proponent of this surrender

[@rc59191]

The war out West doesn't get near enough the attention it deserves especially the war between Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers.

[@ronniedurie7752]

I want to THANK YOU Colonel Doug Douds for acknowledging the presents of and telling a bit of who wrote up the surrendering document! Brigadier Colonel Ely Parker whom was a Seneca Indian. And gave the best come back out of respect to Gen Lee after Lee looked at him and said "Finally a real American" and Ely's reply was "Were all American's"!!! At the McClean house is a pencil drawing by Ely Parker of all that was in that room that day also!. Another story of Indian history that should be taught! Thanks Sir!

[@maxm2494]

The fact that Grant had a native-American on his staff is largely irrelevant, as the Confederate Army had a native-American General (Stand-Waite). It's getting old, this silly need to draw distinctions where NONE actually existed, in the name of "diversity." It's almost as if the narrator is implying the Confederates had NO native-Americans in their service, when in fact, they also had a BLACK naval Captain - something the US navy did not- based out of NC! Can we just tell the story without trying to unnecessarily embellish it with some stupid narrative for the sake of brittle PC apologists?

[@Nighthawke70]

The things about the surrender is there is a measure of COMPASSION, the need to heal and the time to come back together. There was a sense of unity between the Confederacy and the Union. The South realized they needed the North's industry and business to survive. The North needed the South's agriculture to feed and clothe. So when things came back together, they all said "Thank God you are still there, let's do business". US Grant saw to it that this would be the end game for the conflict.

[@leonstone4738]

Yes, Ulster gave American a number of great military leaders who also became Presidents. General Grant of course family was from Country Tyrone and the Farm House they lived in is a Museum. Andrew Jackson was the other. 23 Presidents of Irish Ancestry and 20 of them from Ulster and three of them; JFK, Ronald Reagan and Joe Biden. Ulster also gave you the accent they call American today, thanks to the 250 thousand Protestant immigrants from Ulster between 1700 and 1750 and boy they hated the British. Washington stated that if it wasn’t for the Irish Frontiersmen winning the battle at Kings Mountain, the war would have been lost. The commenter is from Ulster, but is not Protestant.

[@codyking4848]

I'd like to think that it was much simpler than this video would present. Two old warriors, tired of war. A very matter of fact, gentlemanly dealing. Grant treated Lee with the utmost respect, and Lee returned the favor and walked away from the matter with his head held high. It was said the Union soldiers lining the streets removed their hats in respect to Lee and his men for fighting so hard. More importantly, the war was over. Many a man was free. Those under the chains of slavery, those under the chains of military bond, were free to go and do as they pleased. Many black folks were released from their bonds on this day, only to realize that nothing had really changed - the whole country still looked down upon them, North and South, and it was up to them to go and make their own, and that they did. A monumental time in history.

[@zerocool1344]

The South also had a native American leader who was one of the last ones to surrender and a slave owner so quit trying to play like the North was only one who cared about the natives. It was the North and the Union policy that put those natives in camps

[@DarkSektori]

Definitely a very important moment in our country's history. The terms of this surrender were indeed lenient, and I actually agree with this happening because it wasn't a time for gloating or prosecutions regarding treason or anything like that, it was about the nation going though the healing process "together". To get past this tragedy because in all honesty, nobody ever wins a civil war, the whole country always looses regardless of which side or faction won and which side lost. Also I'd like people's opinion but from what I researched? had the confederate General, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson not died on May 2 1863 after the course of the war likely would of possibly gone in a totally different direction, while its not certain if that would of ended up changing which side would of won the entire war, but I agree with what many civil war historians believe, is that had Stonewall Jackson not been accidentally shot or had he not contracted "pneumonia" or survived his wounds, either the Confederates would of won the battle of Gettysburg or that battle might not of even happened at all. Not sure if it would of prevented this fateful battle, but very possibly it would have been a confederate victory. I think many would agree that it was a major setback for the Confederate army considering Stonewall Jackson was one of their best millitary officers. What do you think?

[@TheStapleGunKid]

It's impossible to know if Jackson's death had any major effect on the outcome of the war. But claiming it would is like claiming "The South would have won if every bullet fired by Union soldiers had missed", or "the South would have won if Sherman had suffered a fatal heart attack before he captured Atlanta." Such hypotheticals are either silly or simply impossible to determine for sure. The war was far too complex and lengthy to reasonably claim that it all came down to the death or the choices of a single man.

[@Can_O_Crayola]

It's a difficult question. Jackson *was* a damn good commander who distinguished himself in many circumstances...but let's not forget that his record was not untarnished. He had multiple devastating losses handed to him, he and his armies found themselves *lost* more than once whilst trying to regroup with Lee, and his death lands him in the nostalgic category of military officers who we will never know their true capabilities of. Could certain things have changed if Jackson had survived? Perhaps. But as many historians point out, the majority of Southern military command did not understand the war as it needed to be fought. Lee himself failed to see the forest for the trees, he failed to see that winning individual battles and skirmishes were not the key to forcing a Union peace negotiation. I would argue that as soon as Grant got into command and both he and Sherman got their strategies down, it was too little, too late for the South. They just didn't have the men, the resources, and the time to fight a Union army that had finally gotten their shit together instead of being run by a clown like McClellan, who could've potentially ended the war or at least crippled Southern governance early on if he'd just grown a pair.

[@buckchile614]

Another 'Lost Cause' narrative that romanticizes a myth

[@Mikefrank333]

@@TheStapleGunKid here’s a fun little fact to dwell during the battle of Fredericksburg General Meade actually broke through Stone wall Jackson’s line and had he gotten any support instead of the constant assault on Marye’s Heights that battle would have had quite the different outcome.

[@Qba86]

​@@Can_O_Crayola Johnston and Clebourne seemed to be among the few who understood a the importance of strategy and manpower, but both were ignored and/or silenced by Confederate leadership. One might say that the hubris which led to secession also contributed to CSA's ultimate demise.

[@karondibolden1242]

What would of put the icing on the cake Is if a black soldier handed the confederate lee the paper to sign. Ohhh maannn ha ha ha 😂 🤣 😆

[@attiepollard7847]

Nope nope. Even as a black man during this time that would have been a total insult. Don't do it just giving them the surrender so they can surrender and get it over with. After the war you got a slow domestic issues to handle like civil rights

[@haraldisdead]

The actor that played Grand did really well

[@andrewwestman2407]

He was incredible. Blew my mind when I heard his British accent lol.

[@shaunk6925]

@@andrewwestman2407 I believe the actors who portrayed Teddy Roosevelt and FDR were Brits as well. They are just objectively better actors than us Americans.

[@OFmissleanalee]

Interesting because this is not at all how it happen. The US army occupied the south from 1865-1877. But southerners were supposed to go home and live in peace while the occupation help suppress the elections for over a decade and took advantage of southern people. Interesting perspective they have.

[@thutmose7506]

Actually fun fact Lee refused to shake hand with Parker he thought he was African American but he went back to shake hand with Parker when he was told he is native American.

[@AFNTWMB]

Because Lee was a traitor with the honor of a dog with mange.

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

WTF is an "African American" and "Native American"? Quit being politically correct you mook. These are blacks and Indians.

[@jakelarey5462]

Thank God for the Republicans that helped to abolish slavery. 🙌

[@thewilliam8342]

I think Grant handled well, it would have been a nightmare had he been unconcerned with the feelings & thoughts of the rebel forces, ie WW1..🤷🏻‍♂️

[@AFNTWMB]

Johnson botched Reconstruction. Grant should have taken Lees sword and tossed it on the dirt with contempt. The South was broken after the War. They were occupied. The undeserved kindness of the war allowed rats like the KKK to arise and terrorize Americans the traitors and the their spawn saw (and see) as inferior. Grants softheartedness and Johnson’s racism have left a festering wound in the nation

[@eq1373]

​​@@AFNTWMBJohnson tried to do just that. Grant threatened to resign if he did that. Kind of sounds like you have a superiority complex yourself.

[@AFNTWMB]

@@eq1373 he most certainly didn’t; he was at constant odds with the Republican Party who were trying to do Reconstruction; to the point they almost impeached him. Stop making up history to feel better about your loser ancestors

[@mikerilling6515]

David Petraus ? 😂😂 The traitor who provided classified documents to his girlfriend You chose to include that traitor in this video 🙄

[@omcorc]

It always makes me roll my eyes when I hear southerners still feeling raw about the end of the Civil war. Do they not realize what the Union could have done to their ancestors in the immediate aftermath of the war? There could have been hundreds and hundreds of hangings. The Union could have carried out a brutal campaign of retribution and left the south even further in ruins. They showed mercy, and a willingness to make the country whole again. But I guess when you have millions of people who didn't (and sadly still don't) want the country to be whole in the first place, you end up with a recipe for decades and decades and decades of resentment and anger.

[@khronostheavenger8923]

The resentment comes twofold. First, the immediate aftermath for the south was a continuous struggle against carpetbagger Republicans (the party became infamous for corruption for a decade or two) who bought up land and material for cheap. So while Grant and pals were magnanimous, the same could not be said of politicians and opportunistic civilians. Second, the modern conversation is built on a great deal of ridicule for the south. There's an annoying amount of talk about the Civil War that typically ends with a bunch of people singing Union Dixie without a sliver of good faith. Understandably, that breeds a certain kind of disposition against the Union.

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

You do understand that even before the U.S. was a country, there were people who didn't want it to be whole. In other words, "wholeness" is not something that is unfamiliar regarding the United States.

[@robertswitzer990]

Dixiecrats, amirite?

[@AnthonyBurrough]

The ending of war is always a good thing. It's sad that over 600,000 had to die for the 2 Generals to arrive at this conclusion.

[@JoefromNJ1]

600.000 died because a few thousand men in the south feared for the abolition of slavery.

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

"The ending of war is always a good thing." Only if you are the victor.

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

@@JoefromNJ1 - 600,000 died because the United States government feared the dissolution of a union.

[@JoefromNJ1]

yea it did. and the south seceded because it feared the abolition of slavery. it always comes back to slavery my friend.@@ARyan-yk9qh

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

@@JoefromNJ1 - Very narrow view of things as the South chose to secede for a myriad of reasons, but I'm sure you already knew that - didn't you? /s

[@bjornjoseph]

I wonder if the south wouldve been this lenient. I get they wanted tor reunify the country but dang, no accountability?

[@Austenite762]

Where can i watch this series??

[@rizky1421]

You can watch this series on History Vault.

[@xyPERSON]

It should also be available for purchase on DVD.

[@youtubewatchin8869]

Historically these decisions will all come to be known as mistakes. The terms of surrender should have been total and non conditional. Everyone is gearing up for Civil War 2.0 because of how "Lenient" these terms were. Weakness and Arrogance.

[@magos2610]

Even though they fought each other but and the end they put aside the past and became the one. That's how you make peace, that's why I love America even though I'm not the one.

[@AFNTWMB]

We didn’t “become one”. The south went back almost immediately to oppressing, terrorizing and exploiting Americans they saw as inferior. The peace was ruined by Johnson. Lee should have hanged along with Davis, every piece of Confederate property seized and the power of the Southern planters annihilated. Traitors like to call it a war between brothers; it was a war between patriots and slaving traitors

[@kmlammto]

Grant’s eastern campaign was not great. It did follow what he had learned at both Vicksburg and Shiloh, press the battle at all costs. The reason this worked in the west - and ultimately in the east - was that the CSA generals, including Lee did not expect it as every other USA general had always withdrawn when they were held to stalemate or were forced to retreat. Lee could not adjust to Grant’s tactic which ultimately led Lee to the conclusion that he needed to surrender. In effect, Grant “out generated” Lee by doing the unexpected. Lee was able to delay the inevitable, but only at great cost to his forces. He knew the Union forces were losing more personnel than he, but he started out with fewer than Grant to begin with. The delay was more a tribute to Lee’s forces being able to be more agile than Grant’s than it was to Lee’s leadership. Had Lee been saddled with green troops, they would not have been as able to move to build the defensive works that allowed them to block the Union attacks and deliver withering blows to the Union soldiers.

[@Sshooter444]

this documentary sucks all round. the reenactments are bad and the talking heads are not subject matter experts

[@williemorris2626]

The end of this terrible war was an act of God, the two leaders of two nations divided by politics came together and started to put the one Nation under God together again

[@trolloftruth2941]

For White people

[@alikazerani]

@@trolloftruth2941 You really can't accuse the Union side of being disinterested in the well-being of non-white people.

[@stevensonDonnie]

How did Lincoln not only win the Civil War but won the second Civil War? By winning the peace and ensuring there would be no second .

[@richardwaynewatsoniii4268]

The guy that plays Grant looks more like General Sherman

[@kommando5562]

The guy they have playing Lee looks more like Braxton Bragg.

[@alikazerani]

@@kommando5562 Hahaha. Nice.

[@newworld8546]

yea sorry not gonna take history from women

[@tavenstrickert9658]

Then you're a jackass

[@MrBassmann15]

I didn't know that Santa Claus represented the Confederacy during this meeting. Lee must have been sick and had a Christmas wish still saved.

[@haraldisdead]

RIP US Grant.

[@jebbroham1776]

It was when Lee remarked to the Seneca Indian that “It is good to see a real American here” and the Senecan replied back with “we are all Americans” the wounds truly began to heal.

[@williemorris2626]

The end of this terrible war was an act of God, the two leaders of two nations divided by politics came together and started to put the one Nation under God together again

[@carter84262]

The "Under a god" part did not come to be until 1954, thanks to McCarthyism. The Founding Fathers were clear the United States is not a Christian nation.

[@rayanmarianelli1371]

"Meanwhile you have U.S Grant, drunk a.f" lol

[@williamou417]

Lee looks inaccutate

[@wyattplayzgaming]

Grant kind of looks like Sherman in this portrayal lol

[@cosminblk8359]

@@wyattplayzgaming Grant looks almost perfect there, waaaay better than in "Lincoln" movie.

[@kommando5562]

@@cosminblk8359 the movie birth of a nation from 1915 recreated the surrender much better tbh lol

[@yvc9]

Half measures when full ones were required.

[@_Francis]

Was Lee really that tall?

[@edwardclement102]

Some say 6 feet, others 510 or near 6 feet.

[@alexandergriffith1825]

@@edwardclement102 Which was fairly tall back then.

[@chaosXP3RT]

Rather, Grant was that short

[@kommando5562]

@@chaosXP3RT Lincoln wrote that Grant was the strangest little short man he’d ever seen it’s kinda funny he wrote that

[@chaosXP3RT]

@@kommando5562 I'm reading a biography on Grant and the first time Secretary of War Stanton went to meet Grant, he mistook a Medical Officer for Grant, shaking his hand. Stanton hadn't expected Grant to be so short, to have such a plain uniform and an unassuming appearance! On a couple of occasions, Grant actually let newspaper reporters and crowds of people mistake his medical officer for him so that he could escape the crowds. Grant wasn't one for speeches or being the center of attention.

[@emameyer]

Lincoln, and Grant, understood that before and after the war those men were Americans and should be treated as brothers

[@michealjones3297]

My favorite Civil War historian is Shelby Foote

[@Diddylicious]

Based -Ulysses S. Grant, 2023

[@rjbonacolta]

The character of war didn't change, Lee was just a dandy while Grant was a warrior

[@edwardclement102]

Lee was the man of the times, he rejected guerrilla warfare, to try to bring the best peace, but the Radicals later forced the issues and the KKK came and 12 years of guerilla warfare,in which the South defeated Reconstruction, the South rose again,

[@Galindogil1969]

You don’t let your enemy just go home you destroy him

[@eq1373]

What happens when those guns get turned on YOU?

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

This could swing both ways as there were many battles in which Lee allowed the Union to go into full retreat and didn't destroy them.

[@onefastgoat1168]

Some legends in that room

[@MrWadewynn]

Poor representation, lee was nothing if not a polite gentleman. He would have never been so curt. Grant was portrayed accurately though

[@BlackJuck]

You really should read more about grants campaigns especially Vicksburg, he is unironically one of the greatest generals in world history and even developed tactics used in ww1 when foreign observers saw both sides. Lee was not the great general the south props him up to be suffering more inconclusive and lost battles than wins.

[@joeykonyha2414]

George Thomas is pretty damn close to Grant and is largely unknown…just as he’d like it. Lee was too hidebound to his precious Virginia, and let the rest of the Confederacy melt away to protect Virginia…which he didn’t even do too well even at that.

[@MARVINCOLON705]

1:31 big mistake.

[@Douglas_413]

How I believe it was the right choice for reconciliation

[@jamesalexander5623]

letting the Confederacy off Easy is the cause of most of our Political Problems Today!

[@cchappell06]

Absolutely. They should have been punished for their treason and we shouldn't have been so generous in reconstruction.

[@AFNTWMB]

@@cchappell06Reconstruction wasn’t generous…reconstruction was sabotaged. In the years between 1865 and 1873 African Americans were being given the ability to fully economically and politically integrate. The Freedman’s Bureau insured their rights were protected, land was appropriated for their use. The old southern slaveocracy may have very well died; but by allowing the traitors the ability to meddle in national politics the were able to strong arm the liberal half of the nation into pulling out of the South. Reconstruction died and Jim Crow was born

[@CherryCokeNixon]

Clown take. Lincoln was a hero for building a reconciliation.

[@AFNTWMB]

@@CherryCokeNixon Lincoln died before he could have much of an impact. Johnson was handing out pardons left right and center to every slaver and traitor who kissed his ass properly, when the slaveocracy should have been getting stretched necks and having every inch of land confiscated. The only people who think the kindness shown to the South was good are either children or sympathizers to the racist treason of that scum.

[@robertocortes1386]

there was a part when Grant asked Lee to persuade the other confederate generals to end the war, he said thats not to him, thas for his president, and Grant answers that there is only one president now, the president of the United States, i loved that moment

[@gamerstheater1187]

Grant was not only a badass but he also was undoubtly base

[@yegfreethinker]

I'm not American (Canadian) but the magnanimity, mercy, and forgiveness displayed by Grant and Lee makes me cry. It gives one hope for humanity.

[@RootandBranchAssociation]

Dear Scots Grey, Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem, ISRAEL. Mr. Lowell Joseph Gallin

[@aesirgaming1014]

A lot of modern historians miss the fact that, at the time, it's hard to quantify the Southern states actions as treason. Before the Civil War began, there was a heated debate as to whether or not the United States was more of a single unified nation state (the union) or more of a confederation where states gathered together because they consented to be governed. A lot of the laws and precedents that unite us now as a unified, Federal Republic were encoded after the Civil War and probably encoded in order to clarify the nature of the United States. However, what the Southern states did wasn't really unprecedented at the time. In the War of 1812, the New England states had largely sat out the war. Many New England states continued to profit handsomely from trade with the British Empire. While they hadn't formally seceded, they had done everything but and in a time of war no less. The reason was primarily because a war with Britain was viewed as potentially ruinous to the New England maritime-based economy. Sound familiar? Well, the Southern states largely seceded because the abolition of slavery was likely to be ruinous to the Southern agrarian-based economy. Therefore, under a more anti-Federalist viewpoint, the Federal government had ceased to guard and nurture the interests of the southern states, therefore the contract was broken and the southern states should consider themselves as free to leave the union. Ultimately, the US obviously benefitted from maintaining the Union. However, I find that many modernist views ignore the actual situation at the time in favor of takes that are heavily colored by modern perceptions and post-Civil War statutes. I personally view the Civil War as sort of the ultimate culmination of the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debate. We are now seeing this debate resurface under a different guise and different names in the modern era where states are challenging the laws of the Federal government. Ultimately, I tend to support a more Anti-Federalist approach. I've lived all over the United States. Policies that benefit the people in a large state or heavily urbanized states do not necessarily benefit the people in a smaller or more rural state. Each state should set the laws that its citizens deem best, with a few commonalities binding us together.

[@richard6440]

Then let all the states become Soveriegn countries.

[@mcgibblets78]

Today I learned that a youtube comment knows more than "a lot of modern historians." The more you know.

[@j.benjamin3782]

The colorization of Lincoln is stunning.

[@jay4778]

And it seems we're about to do round 2 soon enough 😔

[@christopherjohn5575]

When you use all your experience points on “book smarts” rather than “bulldog determination.”

[@paulverse4587]

The Union side had 4x more people, 5x more industrial output, 3x more soldiers, 2x the agricultural output, naval dominance, etc That it took 4 years to win, and with such losses, was nothing but an embarassment for the Union.

[@inquisitorkrieger8171]

Was wondering where the confederaboos where in the comments. You're leaving a few things out, Johnny.

[@paulverse4587]

​@@inquisitorkrieger8171 Are you talking to me?

[@1_Fish.2_Fish.Red_Fish.]

It is truly incredible they kept the fight up for so long.

[@Delogros]

Grant was a fairly medicore battlefield general by European and East Asian standards making up for that by the strength of his forces compared to Lee's but being a good commander in chief of large armies involves more things including diplomacy and a command of grand strategy and logistics as well as an understanding of your enemy and grant was very good at most of the other forms of command, sort of the opposite of Napoleon who was a genius in battle and strategic manauver but had to delegate much of the rest (particularly logistics) to others.

[@Dawgator]

1865: “One nation again.” 2024: “Hold my beer.”

[@joshuadesautels]

1865: “One nation again.” Trump: “Hold my beer.”

[@Michael-dy2lb]

@@joshuadesautels And yet he was president for four years and we were still one nation.

[@orangeM7]

it's a shame Lee did not have to endure the punishment which he and his men inflicted on the black union soldiers. Lee got off way too easy.

[@bowen1704]

Well that was an incredibly stupid and uneducated thing to say. “It is however of primary importance that the Africans should know that the service is voluntary on their part. As to the name of the troops, the general thinks you cannot do better than consult the men themselves. His only objection to calling them colored troops was that the enemy had selected that designation for theirs. But this has no weight against the choice of the troops and he recommends that they be called colored or if they prefer, they can be called simply Confederate troops or volunteers. Everything should be done to impress them with the responsibility and character of their position, and while of course due respect and subordination should be exacted, they should be so treated as to feel that their obligations are those of any other soldier and their rights and privileges dependent in law & order as obligations upon others as upon theirselves. Harshness and contemptuous or offensive language or conduct to them must be forbidden and they should be made to forget as soon as possible that they were regarded as menials. You will readily understand however how to conciliate their good will & elevate the tone and character of the men” - Robert E Lee to General Ewell on black confederate soldiers

[@bowen1704]

All black Union soldiers that died in combat died as heroes like the white Union soldiers and all races (white, native American, latino, Asian, and black) of the confederate soldiers as well. But they died on the battlefield as heroes

[@bowen1704]

And you do realize you’re saying Grant should’ve killed 800,000 Americans right? You want to commit genocide because cnn told ya to hate confederates fighting for their home state against the Union which had 8 slave states in 1864?

[@bowen1704]

FYI It was the Union officers that sent black soldiers on suicidal missions after they were finally allowed to fight. 1860, he wrote, “All the Congresses on earth can’t make the n word anything else than what he is; he must be subject to the white man, or he must amalgamate or be destroyed. Two such races cannot live in harmony save as master and slave.” - Union General Sherman In an 1863 letter to his home state congressman, Elihu Washburne, Grant summed up his pre-war attitude: “I never was an Abolitionist,” he said, “not even what could be called anti-slavery.”

[@kdmdlo]

At the end of this clip, there is talk about the celebrations in the north. And they mention relief in the south. And, I imagine there was. But I think there was likely a lot of pent up hostility. The loss of lives, the loss of their slaves, the loss of their culture (as racist and hateful as it was), and their decimated economy all must have weighed on them. Reconstruction, insofar as it happened at all, needed to go way, way farther. The federal government needed to invest heavily in the south. And they needed to more energetically maintain the rights of the former slaves.