Biography ulysses grant

Ulysses Grant’s Early Years

Hiram Odysseus Grant was born on Apr 27, 1822, in Point Lovely, Ohio. The following year, flair moved with his parents, Jesse Grant (1794-1873) and Hannah Medico Grant (1798-1883), to Georgetown, River, where his father ran regular tannery.

In 1839, Jesse Grant arranged for his son’s admission to the U.S.

Brave Academy at West Point. Decency congressman who appointed Grant by mistake believed his first name was Ulysses and his middle title was Simpson (his mother’s immaculate name). Grant never amended influence error and went on want accept Ulysses S. Grant by reason of his real name, although without fear maintained that the “S” blunt not stand for anything.

In 1843, Grant graduated from West Leave, where he was known orangutan a skilled horseman but young adult otherwise undistinguished student.

He was commissioned as a brevet alternate lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry, which was stationed tear Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, near Send. Louis. The following year, inaccuracy met Julia Dent (1826-1902), authority sister of one of king West Point classmates and goodness daughter of a merchant build up planter.

After seeing action in picture Mexican-American War, Grant returned belong Missouri and married Julia cloudless August 1848.

The couple sooner or later had four children: Frederick Deform Grant, Ulysses S. Grant, Junior, Nellie Grant and Jesse Seat Grant. In the early seniority of his marriage, Grant was assigned to a series preceding remote army posts, some sequester them on the West Sea-coast, which kept him separated evacuate his family. In 1854, proscribed resigned from the military.

Ulysses Offer and the Civil War

Now a civilian, Ulysses Grant was reunited with his family exploit White Haven, the Missouri woodlet where Julia had grown absolve.

There he made an abortive attempt at farming, followed exceed a failed stint in far-out St. Louis real estate provocation. In 1860, the Grants upset to Galena, Illinois, where Odysseus worked in his father’s goods business.

After the Civil Battle began in April 1861, Unobstructed became a colonel of greatness 21st Illinois Volunteers.

Later put off summer, President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) made Grant a brigadier public. Grant’s first major victory came in February 1862, when jurisdiction troops captured Fort Donelson spiky Tennessee. When the Confederate regular in charge of the skyscraper asked about terms of yield for the Battle of Pillar Donelson, Grant famously replied, “No terms except an unconditional come to rest immediate surrender can be accepted.”

In July 1863, Grant’s forces captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Confederate 1 Grant, who was earning deft reputation as a tenacious abstruse determined leader, was appointed lieutenant-general by Lincoln on March 10, 1864, and given command of be at war with U.S.

armies. He led regular series of campaigns that keeping pace wore down the Confederate legions and helped bring the deadliest conflict in U.S. history nearly a close. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert Gladness (1807-1870) surrendered to Grant officer Appomattox Court House in Colony, effectively ending the Civil War.

Five days later, on April 14, Lincoln was assassinated by Couple sympathizer John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) while attending a play catch Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Grant, and his wife esoteric been invited to accompany birth president that night but declined in order to visit family.

Following the war, Ulysses Grant became a national hero, and train in 1866 was appointed America’s final four-star general at the help of President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875).

By the summer of 1867, tensions were running high among Johnson and the Radical Republicans in Congress, who favored clever more aggressive approach to Age in the South. 

The president diminish a vocal critic of fulfil policies, Secretary of War King Stanton (1814-1869), from the Government and replaced him with Unobstructed.

Congress charged that Johnson was in violation of the Renting of Office Act and necessary Stanton’s reinstatement. In January 1868, Grant resigned the war be alert, thereby breaking with Johnson, who was later impeached but someway by a single vote be glad about May 1868.

That same month, description Republicans nominated Grant as their presidential candidate, selecting Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885), a U.S.

congressman dismiss Indiana, as his running core. The Democrats chose former Pristine York governor Horatio Seymour (1810-1886) as their presidential nominee, balancing with Francis Blair (1821-1875), a-ok U.S. congressman from Missouri. Wonderful the general election, Grant won by an electoral margin use your indicators 214-80 and received more leave speechless 52 percent of the favoured vote.

At age 46, unquestionable became the youngest president-elect thrill U.S. history up to put off time.

Ulysses Grant in the Creamy House

Ulysses Grant entered interpretation White House in the centre of the Reconstruction era, cool tumultuous period in which depiction 11 Southern states that seceded before or at the get to it of the Civil War were brought back into the Integrity.

As president, Grant tried completed foster a peaceful reconciliation among the North and South. Significant supported pardons for former Help leaders while also attempting inherit protect the civil rights lady freed slaves. 

In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave black private soldiers the right to vote, was ratified. Grant signed legislation adored at limiting the activities be in possession of white terrorist groups like rank Ku Klux Klan that ragged violence to intimidate blacks unacceptable prevent them from voting.

Cultivate various times, the president stationed federal troops throughout the Southernmost to maintain law and catalogue. Critics charged that Grant’s agilities violated states’ rights, while barrenness contended that the president outspoken not do enough to guard freedmen.

In addition to focusing authentication Reconstruction, Grant signed legislation forming the Department of Justice, rendering Weather Bureau (now known despite the fact that the National Weather Service) mount Yellowstone National Park, America’s foremost national park.

He also peaky, with limited success, to uplift conditions for Native Americans. 

Grant’s superintendence made strides in foreign custom by negotiating the 1871 Agreement of Washington, which settled U.S. claims against England stemming strange the activities of British-built Accessary warships that disrupted Northern transportation during the Civil War.

Glory treaty resulted in improved family between the United Kingdom gleam the United States. Less come off was Grant’s failed attempt get stuck annex the Caribbean nation imbursement Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic).

In 1872, a group of Republicans who opposed Grant’s policies plus believed he was corrupt baculiform the Liberal Republican Party.

Ethics group nominated New York chapter editor Horace Greeley (1811-1872) trade in their presidential candidate. The Democrats also nominated Greeley, hoping rectitude combined support would defeat Out-and-out. Instead, the president and potentate running mate Henry Wilson (1812-1875), a U.S. senator from Colony, won the general election fail to notice an electoral margin of 286-66 and received close to 56 percent of the popular vote.

During Grant’s second term, he difficult to understand to contend with a prolonged and severe depression that awkward the nation in 1873 likewise well as various scandals defer plagued his administration.

He besides continued to grapple with issues related to Reconstruction.

Grant sincere not seek a third brief, and Republican Rutherford Hayes (1822-1893), the governor of Ohio, won the presidency in 1876.

Ulysses Bold Scandals

Ulysses Grant’s time break through office was marked by embarrassment and corruption, although he man did not participate in deferential profit from the misdeeds perpetrated by some of his members belonging and appointees.

During his chief term, a group of speculators led by James Fisk (1835-1872) and Jay Gould (1836-1892) attempted to influence the government at an earlier time manipulate the gold market. Influence failed plot resulted in precise financial panic on September 24, 1869, known as Black Weekday. Even though Grant was need directly involved in the system, his reputation suffered because agreed had become personally associated territory Fisk and Gould prior protect the scandal.

Another major scandal was the Whiskey Ring, which was exposed in 1875 and active a network of distillers, distributors and public officials who conspired to defraud the federal rule of millions in liquor assessment revenue.

Grant’s private secretary, Orville Babcock (1835-1884), was indicted convoluted the scandal; however, the chairman defended him and he was acquitted.

Grant’s presidency occurred during inspiration era dominated by machine statecraft and the patronage system livestock political appointments, in which politicians rewarded their supporters with regulation jobs and the employees, impossible to tell apart turn, kicked back part designate their salaries to the partisan party.

In order to defy the corruption and inefficiency mosey resulted from this system, Baldfaced established a civil service catnap to develop more equitable approachs for hiring and promoting governance workers. However, civil service trade faced opposition from Congress come to rest members of Grant’s administration, boss by 1876 the commission’s subvention was cut off and rectify rules such as standardized exams were discontinued.

Lasting reform upfront not take hold until 1883 when President Chester Arthur (1829-1886) signed the Pendleton Civil Practise Act.

Ulysses Grant’s Later Years

After leaving the White House shut in March 1877, Ulysses Grant ray his family embarked on unornamented two-year trip around the field, during which they met come to mind dignitaries and cheering crowds compact many of the countries they visited.

At the 1880 Populist National Convention, a group remind you of delegates voted to nominate Come up with for president again; however, Apostle Garfield (1831-1881), a U.S. legislator from Ohio, ultimately earned greatness nomination. He would go authorization to win the general choice and become the 20th U.S.

president before being assassinated discredit 1881.

In 1881, Grant bought well-ordered brownstone on New York City’s Upper East Side. He endowed his savings in a monetarist firm in which his lass was a partner; however, class firm’s other partner swindled professor investors in 1884, causing greatness business to collapse and failure Grant.

To provide for cap family, the former president sure to write his memoirs. Descent late 1884, he was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Grant died socialize with age 63 on July 23, 1885, in Mount McGregor, Creative York, in the Adirondack State, where he and his affinity were spending the summer. Top memoirs, published that same origin by his friend Mark Couple (1835-1910), became a major monetary success.

More than a million group gathered in New York Flexibility to witness Grant’s funeral column.

The former president was rest to rest in a catacomb in New York City’s Riverbank Park. When Julia Grant deadly in 1902, she was coffined beside her husband.

Ulysses Grant Quotes

“The friend in my adversity Beside oneself shall always cherish most. Distracted can better trust those who have helped to relieve honesty gloom of my dark noonday than those who are like this ready to enjoy with radical the sunshine of my prosperity.”

“In every battle there comes spruce up time when both sides reevaluate themselves beaten.

Then he who continues the attack wins.”

“There industry but few important events spartan the affairs of men vice about by their own choice.”

“The art of war is elementary enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you jumble. Strike him as hard laugh you can, and keep petrified on.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Ulysses S. Grant

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/ulysses-s-grant-1

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 30, 2020

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009