DiCaprio’s “Grant” Sets Historical Record Straight
As a life-long student of American history, I never thought our country would someday have to rely on Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio to help set the historical record straight. DiCaprio, who actually happens to be a history buff, served as executive producer for the History Channel’s six-hour series Grant, which premiered in late May and is currently available via online streaming. In doing so, he has contributed to giving a wide swath of Americans a different perspective on Ulysses S. Grant, one of the most important and misunderstood figures in our nation’s history. With the current wave of Black Lives Matter protests leading to the forced removal of Confederate statues in the South, and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s plan to remove the massive General Robert E. Lee statue that sits on Richmond’s Monument Avenue, the timing of Grant could not be more appropriate. I contend DiCaprio’s production offers us a way to more easily accept the removal of Lee statues without generating any more divisiveness.
In this mini-series (based on the best-selling book Grant by Ron Chernow), Grant gets the credit he has long deserved. His wide range of skills and achievements are cinematically on display for everyone to see. Viewers of the docu-drama will inevitably experience a newfound appreciation for this giant of American history. But his reputation is not the only one at stake. By casting the spotlight on Grant, the mini-series should also go far in serving to help free Americans from the powerful mystique General Lee’s image has long exercised on this country. This mystique has been used over the years by segments of our society to cultivate an element of divisiveness. The famous Confederate general died in 1870. By depicting Grant as a hero in his own right, DiCaprio’s mini-series allows us the opportunity to stop praising Lee so we can finally bury the myth.
No discussion of Grant is possible without mention of his main Confederate opponent. Lee served on the losing side of a war, yet our romantic memory of him remains that of a genius military leader who fought the good fight against tremendous odds. The old adage “Don’t speak ill of the dead” goes double for Lee. Any criticism of him will likely be met with more than a mild sense of outrage. He is perceived by his many fans as the last honorable American. Perhaps it’s the white hair, which lends him such a distinguished look (in paintings, he appears God-like — if your image of God is that of an elderly Caucasian male with a neatly trimmed beard). Or maybe it’s because he looks so commanding on horseback, as depicted via the numerous Lee statues that dot the Southern landscape. Though he took up arms against the U.S., he is perceived as the noble knight. The white savior.
Unfortunately, this pristine image has allowed segments of American society to exploit Lee as a symbol of racial divisiveness. Take the infamous Charlottesville rally of August 2017, in which a number of racist groups met under the guise of a rally to protest the removal of a Lee statue. When the rally resulted in the death of an innocent counter-protestor by a white nationalist, some Americans, to include President Donald Trump, tried justifying the rally in the name of Southern heritage, evoking the image of Lee in the pursuit of moral equivalence. “There were very fine people on both sides,” Trump declared, attempting to lump supporters of the general in with the Neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and Ku Klux Klan members that led the rally.
Trump doubled down a few days later when asked if he now thought differently about the “fine people” comment. This time he said, “I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E Lee. A great general, whether you like it or not. He was one of the great generals. … People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that.”
President Trump brazenly used Lee’s image to reassure his political base that he remains on the side that respects so-called traditional American values. His appeal to Lee’s noble military reputation was meant as a divisive signal, fully aware that a preponderance of African-Americans will never view the top Confederate general as hero.
As recently as this past week, Trump once again resorted to the familiar tactic, firing up his supporters at his Tulsa rally by claiming, “The left wing mob is trying to vandalize our history, desecrate our monuments, our beautiful monuments, tear down our statues and punish, cancel and persecute anyone who does not conform to their demands for absolute and total control.”
So how can America free itself from the grip of Lee’s mystique without generating any further divisiveness? How can we as a nation better enable the gracious acceptance of Confederate monument removal? This will require a positive two-step approach that avoids any overt criticism of Lee.
First, we can heed the advice of Japanese organizing consultant and author Marie Kondo. In taking on the task of eliminating clutter, she advises that when getting rid of something that holds many pleasant memories it is important to show gratitude by saying a heartfelt “Thank You.” This same method can be applied to historical decluttering. The next time a city or state gets rid of a Lee statue, I recommend his fans ignore the urge to protest. Instead, they should think of any “Southern heritage pride ” memories the statue has provided over the years and then offer a heartfelt “Thank You” before ultimately moving on.
The second step involves burnishing the image of Ulysses S. Grant. He did after all, win the war. In the past, Grant was often portrayed as a crude military butcher of men and a drunk who later led a corrupt presidential administration. Chernow‘s best-selling biography Grant, along with DiCaprio’s mini-series, successfully helps to accomplish this burnishing task, effectively making up for over one hundred and sixty years of distorted history. As History Channel viewers will find, Grant comes across as a military genius and inspiring leader, a valiant advocate of Reconstruction, and author of a well-written volume of U.S. presidential memoirs. Favorably comparing this re-booted American hero to his Confederate foe is sure to change our historical perspective, and relegate Lee to mere mortal status.
The recent toppling of a Grant statue in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, a bizarre action carried out by protestors claiming the scourge of Southern slavery once owned a slave, demonstrates the need to conduct a close historical examination of the man. The mini-series clearly establishes that Grant — even though he married into a slave owning Missouri family — always detested the institution of slavery. Perhaps Grant’s statue may have remained standing had the protestors taken the time to see DiCaprio’s production.
Viewers of the Grant mini-series will hopefully want to rearrange and perhaps even go so far as to graciously declutter their historical perspectives. I think General Lee — who many consider the epitome of the Southern gentleman — would appreciate such a gracious send-off.
