N-Y Historical Society opens Grant & Lee exhibit this fall

By the end of the Civil War, most Americans considered either Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant to be a hero. The reputations of the two generals were molded in part by a sectional bias that would aggrandize the achievements of one often to the detriment of the other. In recent years, Grant has earned a growing reputation for his pioneering use of Federal power for civil rights and post-war reconstruction—a remarkable shift from a presidency that was more often condemned as a bumbling series of scandals and corruption. Similarly in the eyes of today’s viewers, Robert E. Lee’s role as a symbol in American politics may have outstripped his actual feats as a Confederate general. This thought-provoking, interactive historical exhibition and its catalog plunges visitors into the promises and disappointments that Grant, Lee and offers a challenging interpretation of the nation’s history at mid-century to every American who wonders how we became what we are today. The New-York Historical Society exhibition complements the Virginia Historical Society sister exhibition Lee and Grant.


WHAT: Grant and Lee
WHEN: October 17, 2008 through March 29, 2009

WHERE: The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West at 77th Street

ADMISSION: Members and children 12 and under: FREE
Non-Members: $10
Educators, and Seniors: $7
Students: $6

Directions: To get to The New-York Historical Society take B or C trains to 81st Street or M10 bus to 77th Street; M79 to 81st and CPW. To book your group tour, visit with us online or call (212) 485-9293 or (212) 485-9236 to make a reservation.