Grant and Lee Summary

“Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts” by Bruce Catton is a compare and contrast essay about a turning point in American history. Robert E. Lee believed that social stature and “pronounced inequality” would build a better community by setting an example and standard of leadership and strength for the country to follow. Ulysses S. Grant, on the other hand, felt that the only way a social class should be established is by how hard a man worked and how much he had made of himself. With two very contrasting views on how social equality is relevant to running the country, Grant and Lee had one major characteristic in common, which was their fighting qualities along with their need for peace. These two qualities enabled them to come together and work through their differences, which in the end united American life and ultimately surrendered Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.