Ulysses S. Grant
Union general and 18th U.S. president.
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877, and the Commanding General of the Union Army, leading it to victory in the American Civil War in 1865. Born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Ohio, he graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1843 and served with distinction in the Mexican–American War. After a period of civilian poverty, he rejoined the army in 1861 and rose to prominence through victories in the western theater, including the Vicksburg campaign, which gave Union forces control of the Mississippi River. His presidency focused on Reconstruction, civil rights, and economic stabilization, though it was marred by scandals and an ineffective response to the Panic of 1873.
- born
- April 27, 1822
- died
- July 23, 1885
- field
- Military and politics
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- 18th president of the United States; Commanding General of the Union Army during the American Civil War
Lore & Background
Grant was born in Ohio and graduated from West Point in 1843. He served in the Mexican–American War, earning brevets for bravery, but left the army in 1854 and returned to civilian life impoverished. After the Civil War began in 1861, he joined the Union Army and secured key victories in the western theater in 1862. In 1863, his Vicksburg campaign gave the Union control of the Mississippi River. President Abraham Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general and command of all Union armies after his victory at Chattanooga. Grant fought Robert E. Lee through the Overland Campaign, ending with Lee's surrender at Appomattox. In 1866, President Andrew Johnson promoted him to General of the Army, but Grant broke with Johnson over Reconstruction policies.
Reader's Guide
Grant's presidency stabilized the post-war economy, supported Reconstruction and the Fifteenth Amendment, and prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan. He signed a bill creating the Department of Justice and worked with Radical Republicans to protect African Americans. In 1871, he created the first Civil Service Commission. However, his second term was inundated by executive scandals, and his response to the Panic of 1873 was ineffective, contributing to Democratic gains in 1874. His Native American policy aimed at assimilation, and his foreign policy resolved the Alabama Claims peacefully but failed to annex Santo Domingo. After leaving office, he undertook a world tour and later wrote his memoirs while dying of throat cancer. Historical assessments of his presidency suffered due to Lost Cause mythology but began recovering in the 21st century.
Did You Know?
- Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant but was enrolled at West Point as Ulysses S. Grant due to a clerical error.
- He was the first U.S. president to circumnavigate the world after leaving office.
- Grant wrote his memoirs while dying of throat cancer; they were posthumously published and became a major critical and financial success.
- He was unanimously nominated by the Republican Party and elected president in 1868.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"My lord, I have heard that your father was a military man. Was that the case?" — Ulysses S. Grant "I don't underrate the value of military knowledge, but if men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail." — Ulysses S. Grant "I only know two tunes. One is Yankee Doodle, and the other one isn't." — Ulysses S. Grant "We are responsible for these things in his race. It is not fair to visit our faults upon him, let him alone." — Ulysses S. Grant
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