George Meade was a Union Army general who commanded the Army of the Potomac during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. He is remembered for his successful defense of the Union forces against Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Meade was born in Cadiz, Spain and graduated from West Point in 1835. He served in the Mexican-American War and the Seminole Wars before being appointed to command the Army of the Potomac in June 1863. He led the Union forces to victory at Gettysburg, which is considered one of the most important battles of the Civil War.