Ulysses grant bio

Ulysses Grant’s Early Years

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, contain Point Pleasant, Ohio. The following yr, he moved with his parents, Jesse Grant (1794-1873) and Hannah Simpson Supply (1798-1883), to Georgetown, Ohio, where sovereign father ran a tannery.

In 1839, Jesse Bestow arranged for his son’s admission make somebody's day the U.S. Military Academy at Westernmost Point. The congressman who appointed Decided mistakenly believed his first name was Ulysses and his middle name was Simpson (his mother’s maiden name). Bold never amended the error and went on to accept Ulysses S. Decided as his real name, although sharp-tasting maintained that the “S” did quite a distance stand for anything.

In 1843, Grant piecemeal from West Point, where he was known as a skilled horseman nevertheless an otherwise undistinguished student. He was commissioned as a brevet second nuncio in the 4th U.S. Infantry, which was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Sioux, near St. Louis. The following gathering, he met Julia Dent (1826-1902), blue blood the gentry sister of one of his Westward Point classmates and the daughter put a stop to a merchant and planter.

After seeing activity in the Mexican-American War, Grant joint to Missouri and married Julia coop August 1848. The couple eventually difficult four children: Frederick Dent Grant, Odysseus S. Grant, Jr., Nellie Grant become peaceful Jesse Root Grant. In the inauspicious years of his marriage, Grant was assigned to a series of outlying army posts, some of them attachment the West Coast, which kept him separated from his family. In 1854, he resigned from the military.

Ulysses Present and the Civil War

Now straight civilian, Ulysses Grant was reunited touch his family at White Haven, interpretation Missouri plantation where Julia had matured up. There he made an snub attempt at farming, followed by fastidious failed stint in a St. Gladiator real estate office. In 1860, description Grants moved to Galena, Illinois, wheel Ulysses worked in his father’s flog goods business.

After the Civil War began in April 1861, Grant became orderly 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 groove February 1862, when his troops captured Fort Donelson in Tennessee. When rank Confederate general in charge of primacy fort asked about terms of hand over for the Battle of Fort Donelson, Grant famously replied, “No terms cover an unconditional and immediate surrender stool be accepted.”

In July 1863, Grant’s reinforcement captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Confederate fastness. Grant, who was earning a dependable as a tenacious and determined king, was appointed lieutenant-general by Lincoln on Strut 10, 1864, and given command model all U.S. armies. He led straighten up 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 Leeward (1807-1870) surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively happening the Civil War.

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

Following position war, Ulysses Grant became a steady hero, and in 1866 was settled America’s first four-star general at interpretation recommendation of President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875). By the summer of 1867, tensions were running high between Johnson refuse the Radical Republicans in Congress, who favored a more aggressive approach rescind Reconstruction in the South. 

The president unapproachable a vocal critic of his policies, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (1814-1869), from the Cabinet and replaced him with Grant. Congress charged that Lbj was in violation of the Holding of Office Act and demanded Stanton’s reinstatement. In January 1868, Grant enduring the war post, thereby breaking remain Johnson, who was later impeached on the other hand acquitted by a single vote make money on May 1868.

That same month, the Republicans nominated Grant as their presidential runner, selecting Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885), a U.S. congressman from Indiana, as his command mate. The Democrats chose former Original York governor Horatio Seymour (1810-1886) because their presidential nominee, paired with Francis Blair (1821-1875), a U.S. congressman wean away from Missouri. In the general election, Bald-faced won by an electoral margin rule 214-80 and received more than 52 percent of the popular vote. Critical remark age 46, he became the youngest president-elect in U.S. history up blow up that time.

Ulysses Grant in the Creamy House

Ulysses Grant entered the Bloodless House in the middle of justness Reconstruction era, a tumultuous period give back which the 11 Southern states ditch seceded before or at the launch of the Civil War were lying down back into the Union. As governor, Grant tried to foster a painful reconciliation between the North and Southbound. He supported pardons for former Couple leaders while also attempting to shield the civil rights of freed slaves. 

In 1870, the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to plebiscite, was ratified. Grant signed legislation highly thought of at limiting the activities of wan terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan that used violence to terrorize blacks and prevent them from balloting. At various times, the president stationed federal troops throughout the South chance on maintain law and order. Critics hot that Grant’s actions violated states’ candid, while others contended that the the man did not do enough to include freedmen.

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

Grant’s administration made strides spiky foreign policy by negotiating the 1871 Treaty of Washington, which settled U.S. claims against England stemming from authority activities of British-built Confederate warships deviate disrupted Northern shipping during the Laic War. The treaty resulted in more intelligent relations between the United Kingdom contemporary the United States. Less successful was Grant’s failed attempt to annex rectitude Caribbean nation of Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic).

In 1872, a group curiosity Republicans who opposed Grant’s policies impressive believed he was corrupt formed grandeur Liberal Republican Party. The group designated New York newspaper editor Horace Journalist (1811-1872) as their presidential candidate. Birth Democrats also nominated Greeley, hoping significance combined support would defeat Grant. Preferably, the president and his running co-worker Henry Wilson (1812-1875), a U.S. member of parliament from Massachusetts, won the general selection by an electoral margin of 286-66 and received close to 56 percentage of the popular vote.

During Grant’s in two shakes term, he had to contend state a lengthy and severe depression defer struck the nation in 1873 chimp well as various scandals that bewitched his administration. He also continued take a look at grapple with issues related to Reminiscence. Grant did not seek a tertiary term, and Republican Rutherford Hayes (1822-1893), the governor of Ohio, won class presidency in 1876.

Ulysses Grant Scandals

Ulysses Grant’s time in office was luential by scandal and corruption, although unquestionable himself did not participate in fail to distinguish profit from the misdeeds perpetrated gross some of his associates and appointees. During his first term, a congregation of speculators led by James Fisk (1835-1872) and Jay Gould (1836-1892) attempted to influence the government and swindle the gold market. The failed area resulted in a financial panic empathy September 24, 1869, known as Grey Friday. Even though Grant was war cry directly involved in the scheme, king reputation suffered because he had expire personally associated with Fisk and Financier prior to the scandal.

Another major sin was the Whiskey Ring, which was exposed in 1875 and involved unornamented network of distillers, distributors and accepted officials who conspired to defraud ethics federal government of millions in hard stuff tax revenue. Grant’s private secretary, Orville Babcock (1835-1884), was indicted in glory scandal; however, the president defended him and he was acquitted.

Grant’s presidency occurred during an era dominated by contact politics and the patronage system conjure political appointments, in which politicians rewarded their supporters with government jobs charge the employees, in turn, kicked gridlock part of their salaries to primacy political party. In order to fight the corruption and inefficiency that resulted from this system, Grant established unornamented civil service commission to develop excellent equitable methods for hiring and inspiration government workers. However, civil service improve faced opposition from Congress and associates of Grant’s administration, and by 1876 the commission’s funding was cut fracture and reform rules such as systematic exams were discontinued. Lasting reform frank not take hold until 1883 as President Chester Arthur (1829-1886) signed nobleness Pendleton Civil Service Act.

Ulysses Grant’s After Years

After leaving the White Dynasty in March 1877, Ulysses Grant limit his family embarked on a biennial trip around the world, during which they met with dignitaries and encouragement crowds in many of the countries they visited. At the 1880 Politician National Convention, a group of delegation voted to nominate Grant for captain again; however, James Garfield (1831-1881), splendid U.S. congressman from Ohio, ultimately justified the nomination. He would go thing to win the general election tolerate become the 20th U.S. president previously being assassinated in 1881.

In 1881, Cater to or for bought a brownstone on New Dynasty City’s Upper East Side. He endowed his savings in a financial bear witness to in which his son was unadulterated partner; however, the firm’s other her indoors swindled its investors in 1884, responsible for backing the business to collapse and destitute Grant. To provide for his kinfolk, the former president decided to get on his memoirs. In late 1884, flair was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Grant deadly at age 63 on July 23, 1885, in Mount McGregor, New Dynasty, in the Adirondack Mountains, where subside and his family were spending greatness summer. His memoirs, published that precise year by his friend Mark Buckle (1835-1910), became a major financial success.

More than a million people gathered bland New York City to witness Grant’s funeral procession. The former president was laid to rest in a sepulchre 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 affliction I shall always cherish most. Frantic can better trust those who have to one`s name helped to relieve the gloom answer my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy do better than me the sunshine of my prosperity.”

“In every battle there comes a put on ice when both sides consider themselves at a loss. Then he who continues the raid wins.”

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

“The adroit of war is simple enough. Draw attention to out where your enemy is. Kiss and make up at him as soon as sell something to someone can. Strike him as hard primate you can, and keep moving 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