| Arlington National Cemetery,
which is the final
resting place of 250,000 American military personnel,
government
officials and their family members, has a surprising history. The land
on which the cemetery was established was not originally earmarked for
this purpose, instead Arlington was a plantation built by adopted
family members of George Washington, in part to honor the man often
called the father of our country as well as serve as a home
for
Washington's adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, son of
Martha Washington's son from her first marriage. The history of the plantation took an interesting turn when Parke Custis' daughter, Anna, married decorated American army officer, Robert E. Lee. The Arlington House served as their home from 1857 until the Civil War broke out and Lee aligned himself with Confederate forces. After Lee joined the Confederacy, the federal government confiscated Arlington when taxes weren't paid. In 1864, it served as a garrison for Union troops, and the Brigadier General commanding Arlington established the cemetery to keep the house from ever being able to be lived in by the Lee family again. The first burial was for 1,800 soldiers killed in the Battle of Bull Run. From that day on, the Cemetery has served as a final resting place for American heroes.  View Arlington National Cemetary in a larger map |
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