Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807, at Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the fifth child of Revolutionary War cavalry officer Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee and Henry’s second wife, Anne Hill Carter Lee. Through both parents he inherited connections to Virginia’s leading planter families. His father had been a celebrated soldier, governor, and congressman, but reckless speculation and debt badly damaged the family’s fortune. Thus Robert grew up surrounded by an illustrious name without the financial security that name implied. The Lees left Stratford during Robert’s early childhood and moved first among family properties before settling in Alexandria. In 1809 his father was imprisoned for debt. After suffering severe injuries in a Baltimore political riot in 1812, Henry Lee went abroad in search of better health and never returned to his household; he died in 1818. Anne Lee consequently became the stable center of Robert’s upbringing. She was devout, practical, and frequently ill, and Robert developed a strong sense of responsibility by helping care for her and assisting with household affairs. In Alexandria he attended local schools, including the academy of Benjamin Hallowell, where he studied mathematics and other subjects useful for military training. Family tradition, Episcopal religion, and stories of the Revolution shaped his moral world. He also remained close to his siblings, though the family’s scattered circumstances and limited means constrained their choices. Unlike wealthy young Virginians who could expect independent estates, Robert needed a profession that would provide education and income. The United States Military Academy offered that path. With assistance from relatives and political connections, Lee secured an appointment to West Point and entered in 1825. He excelled in engineering, discipline, and conduct, graduating second in the class of 1829 without receiving a recorded demerit. Before his later fame, Lee’s character had been formed by the contrast between inherited prestige and family collapse: an absent, disgraced father; a resilient mother; diminished finances; careful schooling; and a determination to restore stability through duty and professional achievement.