(Brief Biography)


As a young man, Ulysses S. Grant hated the idea of having to work in his father's tannery (where animal hides are cleaned and dried - a dirty & smelly job).


Grant was a graduate of the prestigious military academy, West Point. He served in the U.S. Military during the Mexican-American War, under future President Zachary Taylor. After serving in the Mexican-American War, Grant returned to Missouri and married Julia, the sister of one of his West point classmates in August 1848. The couple had four children. Grant continued to serve in the military, but disliked being stationed so far from his home and family. In 1854, several years before the Civil War began, he resigned from the military. For a few years, he tried working as a farmer, in real estate, and at his father's tannery.

After the Civil War began, he was appointed by President Lincoln as a leader of a volunteer regiment. He impressed President Lincoln with his leadership skills and his aggressiveness, and was promoted to General, where he continued to excel and help lead the Northern Union Forces to victory over the Southern Confederacy. Grant's effective military leadership included victories in the Battles of Shiloh and Vicksburg. He was considered, by Northerners, to be an American hero. The Civil War came to a conclusion when Union General U.S. Grant met with the commander of the Confederate Forces, General Robert E. Lee at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, to accept Lee's and the Confederacy's surrender to end the war.

Note: There are just a handful of photographs of Grant, Lincoln, and soldiers from the Civil War, as photography had only recently been invented, and cameras and people who could reliably operate them, were scarce. The most famous photographer from that period was a man named Mathew Brady. (for more about Mathew Brady, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathew_Brady)

Following the Civil War, in 1866, Grant was appointed America’s first four-star general at the recommendation of President Andrew Johnson, who as Abraham Lincoln's Vice President, became President himself after Lincoln's assassination.  President Johnson attempted to then place Grant in his Cabinet, but Congress disapproved, which led to Johnson's Impeachment and near removal from office.

Not long after, Republicans nominated Grant as their presidential candidate for the Election of 1868. He was elected to two terms as the 18th President of the United States. As President, he worked to implement Congressional Reconstruction and to remove the stains of slavery. He attempted to protect the civil rights of newly freed black slaves. He aligned himself with the Radical Republicans in Congress who wanted more and quicker reforms to help Blacks in the South than white Southerners were willing to make.


Once he became President, he included many members of his Army staff in his White House staff. He pushed through ratification (approval) of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which stated, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” It took the Voting Rights Act of 1865, however, to enforce the right of black men (not yet women), to vote.

It should not be overlooked, however, that despite the efforts Grant made on behalf of enslaved people who had gained freedom, he was documented to have been one of twelve U.S. Presidents that was a slave 'owner' at some point in his life.


Grant led the way to establishing the National Parks Service (which protected natural areas for public use, preserved historic landmarks, and created campgrounds). He was highly scrupulous (detail-oriented), but his administration was infected with scandal. Grant himself was not convicted of any crimes, however.

After completing his Presidency, Grant invested his savings in a financial firm where his son was a partner. This turned out to be a disaster for Grant, as the firm’s other partner swindled investors, causing the business to collapse and Grant to go bankrupt. Desperate to regain his losses, Grant requested that Mark Twain, a famous author and humorist, publish his memoirs (life story). The resulting book became a best seller and helped Grant pay off his debts. Ulysses S. Grant appears on the U.S. $50 bill.

Sources:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/slavery-in-the-presidents-neighborhood-faq
https://www.biography.com/us-president
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents

-Compiled by Henry Anker-