Welcome

The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South’s decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built.


Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives which animated the Southern Cause.


The Stephen D. Lee Institute’s goal is to organize accomplished and distinguished professional scholarship to inform our members and the general public of the Southern side of the war. To that end the Institute makes available recognized scholars to present such subjects as states’ rights and the Constitutional aspects of the war; economic motives for invasion of the South; the dubious benevolence behind the slavery issue; Union Army war crimes and other unsavory aspects of the war against the South in 1861–1865; and other aspects of the true causes and nature of the war.

Upcoming Event

The 2024 Stephen D. Lee Institute will be held February 16-17, 2024, in Columbia, Tennessee. As you know, there is nothing to compare with our Institute and its special brand of high intellectual content coupled with fun times.