Young Robert E Lee

Young Robert E Lee

From The Old World with Will Tanner by Will Tanner

August 26, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

This episode explores the early life of Robert E Lee and the experiences that shaped his character.

This is the story of how Robert E Lee was forged into the Marble Man of legend while still a young man, showing how his early life in Alexandria after his mother and father lost Stratford trained him in excellence and taught him to use his good qualities to great effect. From there, he then got an appointment to West Point through exercising personal connections, and became the sterling model of the perfect cadet while remaining beloved by his fellows. Ultimately, his graduation triumph was marred by the death of his mother, the woman whose diligence and patient cultivation of virtue had turned him into the man he became. This is the story of Robert E Lee's early life, and the foundations of his character. Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/young-robert-e-lee-the-early-life Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in the decaying Stratford Hall, as his father, Light Horse Harry Lee, faced financial collapse. His mother, Anne Hill Carter Lee, was ill and deeply distressed by the pregnancy, but the newborn Robert became her steady…

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Host: Will Tanner

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Books & works: The Old World with Will Tanner

Places: Alexandria, Stratford Hall, United States

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