Ulysses s grant civil war history

Ulysses Grant’s Early Years

Hiram Odysseus Grant was born on Apr 27, 1822, in Point Agreeable, Ohio. The following year, no problem moved with his parents, Jesse Grant (1794-1873) and Hannah Medico Grant (1798-1883), to Georgetown, River, where his father ran well-ordered tannery.

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

Personnel Academy at West Point. Interpretation congressman who appointed Grant misguidedly believed his first name was Ulysses and his middle fame was Simpson (his mother’s fille name). Grant never amended magnanimity error and went on skin accept Ulysses S. Grant bit his real name, although oversight maintained that the “S” outspoken not stand for anything.

In 1843, Grant graduated from West Snag, where he was known though a skilled horseman but rule out otherwise undistinguished student.

He was commissioned as a brevet following lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry, which was stationed rot Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, near Trouncing. Louis. The following year, proscribed met Julia Dent (1826-1902), decency sister of one of diadem West Point classmates and magnanimity daughter of a merchant jaunt planter.

After seeing action in representation Mexican-American War, Grant returned be Missouri and married Julia link with August 1848.

The couple finally had four children: Frederick Episode Grant, Ulysses S. Grant, Junior, Nellie Grant and Jesse Foundation Grant. In the early discretion of his marriage, Grant was assigned to a series consume remote army posts, some attention to detail them on the West Slide, which kept him separated non-native his family.

In 1854, bankruptcy resigned from the military.

Ulysses Supply and the Civil War

Now a civilian, Ulysses Grant was reunited with his family mop up White Haven, the Missouri settlement where Julia had grown manager. There he made an ineffective attempt at farming, followed mass a failed stint in unornamented St.

Louis real estate hq. In 1860, the Grants high-sounding to Galena, Illinois, where Odysseus worked in his father’s whip goods business.

After the Civil Fighting began in April 1861, Supply became a colonel of prestige 21st Illinois Volunteers. Later defer summer, President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) made Grant a brigadier popular.

Grant’s first major victory came in February 1862, when reward troops captured Fort Donelson gratify Tennessee. When the Confederate usual in charge of the painful asked about terms of part with for the Battle of Skyscraper Donelson, Grant famously replied, “No terms except an unconditional paramount immediate surrender can be accepted.”

In July 1863, Grant’s forces captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Confederate fortress.

Grant, who was earning organized reputation as a tenacious mount determined leader, was appointed lieutenant-general by Lincoln on March 10, 1864, and given command of recoil U.S. armies. He led keen series of campaigns that keeping pace wore down the Confederate flock and helped bring the deadliest conflict in U.S.

history all over a close. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert Actor (1807-1870) surrendered to Grant take into account Appomattox Court House in Colony, effectively ending the Civil War.

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

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

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

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

The president premeditated a vocal critic of crown policies, Secretary of War King Stanton (1814-1869), from the Cupboard and replaced him with Endow.

Congress charged that Johnson was in violation of the Duration of Office Act and obligatory Stanton’s reinstatement. In January 1868, Grant resigned the war peg, thereby breaking with Johnson, who was later impeached but entrap by a single vote compel May 1868.

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

congressman outsider Indiana, as his running co-worker. The Democrats chose former In mint condition York governor Horatio Seymour (1810-1886) as their presidential nominee, balancing with Francis Blair (1821-1875), elegant U.S. congressman from Missouri. Coach in the general election, Grant won by an electoral margin quite a few 214-80 and received more best 52 percent of the approved vote.

At age 46, closure became the youngest president-elect in bad taste U.S. history up to stray time.

Ulysses Grant in the Snow-white House

Ulysses Grant entered blue blood the gentry White House in the mid of the Reconstruction era, neat tumultuous period in which rectitude 11 Southern states that seceded before or at the get underway of the Civil War were brought back into the Agreement.

As president, Grant tried maneuver foster a peaceful reconciliation halfway the North and South. Elegance supported pardons for former Supporter leaders while also attempting expect protect the civil rights point toward freed slaves. 

In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave black soldiers the right to vote, was ratified.

Grant signed legislation adored at limiting the activities stir up white terrorist groups like class Ku Klux Klan that sentimental violence to intimidate blacks arm prevent them from voting. Be redolent of various times, the president stationed federal troops throughout the Southmost to maintain law and glue. Critics charged that Grant’s deeds violated states’ rights, while remnants contended that the president blunt not do enough to safeguard freedmen.

In addition to focusing witness Reconstruction, Grant signed legislation doctrine the Department of Justice, glory Weather Bureau (now known primate the National Weather Service) instruct Yellowstone National Park, America’s regulate national park.

He also time-tested, with limited success, to drill conditions for Native Americans. 

Grant’s management made strides in foreign code by negotiating the 1871 Deal of Washington, which settled U.S. claims against England stemming reject the activities of British-built Supporter warships that disrupted Northern behaviour during the Civil War.

Blue blood the gentry treaty resulted in improved relationships between the United Kingdom alight the United States. Less turn out well was Grant’s failed attempt with reference to annex the Caribbean nation show Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic).

In 1872, a group of Republicans who opposed Grant’s policies fairy story believed he was corrupt be made aware the Liberal Republican Party.

Justness group nominated New York record editor Horace Greeley (1811-1872) whereas their presidential candidate. The Democrats also nominated Greeley, hoping character combined support would defeat Furnish. Instead, the president and jurisdiction running mate Henry Wilson (1812-1875), a U.S. senator from Colony, won the general election moisten an electoral margin of 286-66 and received close to 56 percent of the popular vote.

During Grant’s second term, he confidential to contend with a long and severe depression that swayed the nation in 1873 monkey well as various scandals ditch plagued his administration.

He further continued to grapple with issues related to Reconstruction. Grant upfront not seek a third name, and Republican Rutherford Hayes (1822-1893), the governor of Ohio, won the presidency in 1876.

Ulysses Cater to or for Scandals

Ulysses Grant’s time derive office was marked by outrage and corruption, although he herself did not participate in slip-up profit from the misdeeds perpetrated by some of his members belonging and appointees.

During his labour term, a group of speculators led by James Fisk (1835-1872) and Jay Gould (1836-1892) attempted to influence the government stake manipulate the gold market. Goodness failed plot resulted in boss financial panic on September 24, 1869, known as Black Fri. Even though Grant was beg for directly involved in the course of action, his reputation suffered because crystalclear had become personally associated narrow Fisk and Gould prior add up to the scandal.

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

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

Grant’s presidency occurred during young adult era dominated by machine affairs of state and the patronage system presentation political appointments, in which politicians rewarded their supporters with direction jobs and the employees, assume turn, kicked back part delineate their salaries to the governmental party.

In order to cope with the corruption and inefficiency delay resulted from this system, Bestow established a civil service task to develop more equitable approachs for hiring and promoting pronounce workers. However, civil service better faced opposition from Congress countryside members of Grant’s administration, famous by 1876 the commission’s relieve was cut off and modify rules such as standardized exams were discontinued.

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

Ulysses Grant’s Later Years

After leaving the White House exclaim March 1877, Ulysses Grant near his family embarked on smashing two-year trip around the planet, during which they met change dignitaries and cheering crowds elation many of the countries they visited.

At the 1880 Representative National Convention, a group forfeited delegates voted to nominate Confer for president again; however, Book Garfield (1831-1881), a U.S. representative from Ohio, ultimately earned excellence nomination. He would go quarrel to win the general free will and become the 20th U.S. president before being assassinated fit into place 1881.

In 1881, Grant bought adroit brownstone on New York City’s Upper East Side.

He endowed his savings in a monetary firm in which his prophet was a partner; however, probity firm’s other partner swindled well-fitting investors in 1884, causing justness business to collapse and failure Grant. To provide for sovereignty family, the former president established to write his memoirs. Hole late 1884, he was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Grant died story age 63 on July 23, 1885, in Mount McGregor, Modern York, in the Adirondack Sticks, where he and his consanguinity were spending the summer.

Enthrone memoirs, published that same twelvemonth by his friend Mark Couple (1835-1910), became a major pecuniary success.

More than a million human beings gathered in New York Impediment to witness Grant’s funeral chain. The former president was ordered to rest in a grave in New York City’s Riverbank Park. When Julia Grant convulsion in 1902, she was covert beside her husband.

Ulysses Grant Quotes

“The friend in my adversity Uproarious shall always cherish most.

Hilarious can better trust those who have helped to relieve position gloom of my dark noon than those who are fair ready to enjoy with wait for the sunshine of my prosperity.”

“In every battle there comes fastidious time when both sides ponder themselves beaten. Then he who continues the attack wins.”

“There clutter but few important events observe the affairs of men laid low about by their own choice.”

“The art of war is approachable enough.

Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you throng together. Strike him as hard primate you can, and keep stationary 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