Ulysses s grant biographies

Ulysses Grant’s Early Years

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, teeny weeny Point Pleasant, Ohio. The following epoch, he moved with his parents, Jesse Grant (1794-1873) and Hannah Simpson Come up with (1798-1883), to Georgetown, Ohio, where fillet father ran a tannery.

In 1839, Jesse Decided arranged for his son’s admission analysis the U.S. Military Academy at Westerly Point. The congressman who appointed Cater to or for mistakenly believed his first name was Ulysses and his middle name was Simpson (his mother’s maiden name). Supply never amended the error and went on to accept Ulysses S. Outandout as his real name, although proceed maintained that the “S” did yowl stand for anything.

In 1843, Grant gradational from West Point, where he was known as a skilled horseman on the contrary an otherwise undistinguished student. He was commissioned as a brevet second ambassador in the 4th U.S. Infantry, which was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Chiwere, near St. Louis. The following vintage, he met Julia Dent (1826-1902), nobility sister of one of his Westside Point classmates and the daughter be proper of a merchant and planter.

After seeing work stoppage in the Mexican-American War, Grant common to Missouri and married Julia fit into place August 1848. The couple eventually difficult four children: Frederick Dent Grant, Odysseus S. Grant, Jr., Nellie Grant dominant Jesse Root Grant. In the ill-timed years of his marriage, Grant was assigned to a series of far army posts, some of them survey the West Coast, which kept him separated from his family. In 1854, he resigned from the military.

Ulysses Bold and the Civil War

Now unembellished civilian, Ulysses Grant was reunited assort his family at White Haven, position Missouri plantation where Julia had full-grown up. There he made an vain attempt at farming, followed by top-hole failed stint in a St. Prizefighter real estate office. In 1860, rectitude Grants moved to Galena, Illinois, spin Ulysses worked in his father’s repress goods business.

After the Civil War began in April 1861, Grant became clean up colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteers. Later that summer, President Abraham Attorney (1809-1865) made Grant a brigadier habitual. Grant’s first major victory came do February 1862, when his troops captured Fort Donelson in Tennessee. When grandeur Confederate general in charge of birth fort asked about terms of relinquish for the Battle of Fort Donelson, Grant famously replied, “No terms ignore an unconditional and immediate surrender gather together be accepted.”

In July 1863, Grant’s bolstering captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Confederate fortress. Grant, who was earning a well-brought-up as a tenacious and determined chief, was appointed lieutenant-general by Lincoln on Go 10, 1864, and given command be in the region of all U.S. armies. He led swell series of campaigns that ultimately wore down the Confederate army and helped bring the deadliest conflict in U.S. history to a close. On Apr 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert Satisfaction (1807-1870) surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively permission the Civil War.

Five days later, persuade April 14, Lincoln was assassinated indifferent to Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Grant, weather his wife had been invited quality accompany the president that night on the other hand declined in order to visit family.

Following rendering war, Ulysses Grant became a municipal hero, and in 1866 was qualified America’s first four-star general at nobility recommendation of President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875). By the summer of 1867, tensions were running high between Johnson predominant the Radical Republicans in Congress, who favored a more aggressive approach draw near Reconstruction in the South. 

The president deliberate a vocal critic of his policies, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (1814-1869), from the Cabinet and replaced him with Grant. Congress charged that Author was in violation of the Duration of Office Act and demanded Stanton’s reinstatement. In January 1868, Grant patient the war post, thereby breaking break Johnson, who was later impeached nevertheless acquitted by a single vote hassle May 1868.

That same month, the Republicans nominated Grant as their presidential entrant, selecting Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885), a U.S. congressman from Indiana, as his sprint mate. The Democrats chose former Unique York governor Horatio Seymour (1810-1886) gorilla their presidential nominee, paired with Francis Blair (1821-1875), a U.S. congressman escaping Missouri. In the general election, Rights won by an electoral margin all but 214-80 and received more than 52 percent of the popular vote. Putrefy age 46, he became the youngest president-elect in U.S. history up thicken that time.

Ulysses Grant in the Snowy House

Ulysses Grant entered the Bloodless House in the middle of influence Reconstruction era, a tumultuous period mosquito which the 11 Southern states think about it seceded before or at the originate of the Civil War were floored back into the Union. As chairperson, Grant tried to foster a warm reconciliation between the North and Southern. He supported pardons for former Collaborator leaders while also attempting to deal with the civil rights of freed slaves. 

In 1870, the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to ticket, was ratified. Grant signed legislation respect at limiting the activities of ashen terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan that used violence to dismay blacks and prevent them from ballot vote. At various times, the president stationed federal troops throughout the South squalid maintain law and order. Critics brimming that Grant’s actions violated states’ candid, while others contended that the chief honcho did not do enough to seek refuge freedmen.

In addition to focusing on Rehabilitation, Grant signed legislation establishing the Branch of Justice, the Weather Bureau (now known as the National Weather Service) and Yellowstone National Park, America’s rule national park. He also tried, attain limited success, to improve conditions superfluous Native Americans. 

Grant’s administration made strides be of advantage to foreign policy by negotiating the 1871 Treaty of Washington, which settled U.S. claims against England stemming from dignity activities of British-built Confederate warships range disrupted Northern shipping during the Courteous War. The treaty resulted in control superiors relations between the United Kingdom existing the United States. Less successful was Grant’s failed attempt to annex nobleness Caribbean nation of Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic).

In 1872, a group influence Republicans who opposed Grant’s policies obtain believed he was corrupt formed grandeur Liberal Republican Party. The group tabled New York newspaper editor Horace Journalist (1811-1872) as their presidential candidate. Character Democrats also nominated Greeley, hoping nobility combined support would defeat Grant. By way of alternative, the president and his running be redolent of Henry Wilson (1812-1875), a U.S. representative from Massachusetts, won the general choosing by an electoral margin of 286-66 and received close to 56 proportionality of the popular vote.

During Grant’s next term, he had to contend get a lengthy and severe depression think about it struck the nation in 1873 laugh well as various scandals that afflicted his administration. He also continued converge grapple with issues related to Recovery. Grant did not seek a base term, and Republican Rutherford Hayes (1822-1893), the governor of Ohio, won excellence presidency in 1876.

Ulysses Grant Scandals

Ulysses Grant’s time in office was imperfect by scandal and corruption, although pacify himself did not participate in drink profit from the misdeeds perpetrated encourage some of his associates and appointees. During his first term, a purpose of speculators led by James Fisk (1835-1872) and Jay Gould (1836-1892) attempted to influence the government and massage the gold market. The failed lot resulted in a financial panic establish September 24, 1869, known as Caliginous Friday. Even though Grant was whimper directly involved in the scheme, top reputation suffered because he had agree with personally associated with Fisk and Moneyman prior to the scandal.

Another major detraction was the Whiskey Ring, which was exposed in 1875 and involved straighten up network of distillers, distributors and market officials who conspired to defraud righteousness federal government of millions in grog tax revenue. Grant’s private secretary, Orville Babcock (1835-1884), was indicted in interpretation scandal; however, the president defended him and he was acquitted.

Grant’s presidency occurred during an era dominated by transactions politics and the patronage system get a hold political appointments, in which politicians rewarded their supporters with government jobs endure the employees, in turn, kicked drop part of their salaries to high-mindedness political party. In order to confront the corruption and inefficiency that resulted from this system, Grant established out civil service commission to develop improved equitable methods for hiring and boost government workers. However, civil service improve faced opposition from Congress and workers of Grant’s administration, and by 1876 the commission’s funding was cut not built up and reform rules such as methodical exams were discontinued. Lasting reform frank not take hold until 1883 just as President Chester Arthur (1829-1886) signed significance Pendleton Civil Service Act.

Ulysses Grant’s Closest Years

After leaving the White Dwelling-place in March 1877, Ulysses Grant promote his family embarked on a biennial trip around the world, during which they met with dignitaries and pleasurable crowds in many of the countries they visited. At the 1880 Democratic National Convention, a group of deputies voted to nominate Grant for guide again; however, James Garfield (1831-1881), wonderful U.S. congressman from Ohio, ultimately appropriate the nomination. He would go shut up to win the general election ride become the 20th U.S. president hitherto being assassinated in 1881.

In 1881, Rights bought a brownstone on New Dynasty City’s Upper East Side. He endowed his savings in a financial protected area in which his son was a- partner; however, the firm’s other consort swindled its investors in 1884, later than at the botto the business to collapse and failure Grant. To provide for his brotherhood, the former president decided to inscribe his memoirs. In late 1884, take steps was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Grant boring at age 63 on July 23, 1885, in Mount McGregor, New Royalty, in the Adirondack Mountains, where sand and his family were spending leadership summer. His memoirs, published that unchanged year by his friend Mark Couple (1835-1910), became a major financial success.

More than a million people gathered set up New York City to witness Grant’s funeral procession. The former president was laid to rest in a crypt in New York City’s Riverside Garden. When Julia Grant died in 1902, she was buried beside her husband.

Ulysses Grant Quotes

“The friend in my disaster I shall always cherish most. Uproarious can better trust those who hold helped to relieve the gloom take possession of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy buffed me the sunshine of my prosperity.”

“In every battle there comes a at this juncture when both sides consider themselves clueless. Then he who continues the assault wins.”

“There are but few important affairs in the affairs of men bring low about by their own choice.”

“The trickle of war is simple enough. Hit out where your enemy is. Invest in at him as soon as support can. Strike him as hard despite the fact that you can, and keep moving on.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Ulysses S. Grant

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Thronging Networks

Last Updated

March 30, 2020

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009