Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant: Hero of the Mexican-American war, failed farmer, victorious Civil War General, 18th United States President, and best selling author. Hello Friends and welcome to this episode of The History Revolution Podcast. This week we get to explore Ulysses S. Grant. Don't forget to join our Newsletter to stay up to date with our latest blogs, podcasts, and specials.

Early Life

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio.  His father ,Jesse,was a tanner and Ulysses grew up working on the family farm where he became very accomplished in handling and riding horses. Although Grant was not really interested in a military career, his father was able to get him an appointment to the United State Military Academy at West Point.  It was at this time that he decided to change the order of his first and middle names to Ulysses Hiram Grant, however the appointment got his name wrong. It was given to Ulysses S. Grant.  Grant decided to stick with the new name. The S doesn’t stand for anything.   

He graduated from West Point in 1843, 21st out of 39 in his class.  Middle of the road; Not too great, not too bad. However, he again shined as an expert horseman.  

Grant was stationed near St Louis, Missouri after graduating, where he met and fell in love with his future wife Julia. Julia was the sister of Grant’s friend and roommate at West Point, Frederick Dent.  They would soon be engaged and married after Grant's return from the Mexican-American War. The couple had 4 children together, 3 boys and 1 girl.

The marriage would cause strife between Grant and his family.  Grant’s father was an abolitionist, which means that he was for ending or “abolishing” slavery.  Julia’s parents did own slaves.  Because of this, Grant’s parents did not attend his wedding.  Grant would continue to struggle through his own views on slavery and race relations leading up to the civil war.  

Mexican-American War

Ulysses S. Grant would serve valiantly during the Mexican-American War which began in 1846. He learned tactics and leadership under Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott.  In one instance at the Battle of Monterrey, Grant volunteered to carry dispatches through sniper fire. He rode hanging off of the side of his horse, keeping the horse between the snipers and himself. 

Going into the war, he did not consider himself a career military man, but that had changed by the end of the war.  His opinion of America’s actions during the Mexican-American War was low.  He felt it was an immoral war of a stronger country picking on a weaker country. He said  “I do not think there was ever a more wicked war…”   

Between Wars

After the Mexican-American War, Grant was assigned to a series of assignments at remote outposts that kept him away from his family.  It was at this time that he developed a drinking problem, not unlike many of his fellow soldiers. In one of his assignments, Grant’s company was sent to accompany troops and civilians from New York to California by way of Panama.  A cholera outbreak occurred while they were in Panama.  Grant showed selfless servant leadership by actually nursing many of the sick back to health, himself.  He was later assigned to Fort Humboldt in California  but after several incidents of drunkenness, Grant was forced to resign his commision and returned to his family in St. Louis.  At this point, Grant and his family began to struggle financially.  He had several failed business ventures and failed as a farmer.  He eventually moved back home to work with his brothers in his father’s leather shop.  

Civil War

On April 12, 1861 the Civil War officially began when Confederate troops surrounded and attacked Union troops at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.  President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers.  Grant was unsure but was convinced by patriotic speeches at a mass recruitment meeting to rejoin the army.  

He was appointed Military Aide to Illinois Governor Richard Yates and quickly moved up the ranks.  He developed a reputation as a strategic commander who was willing to fight.  This did not go unnoticed by President Abraham Lincoln. Grant achieved battlefield success and victories at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and the costly Battle of Shiloh.  Even though Grant won Shiloh, there was outrage from inside the army and the public at the number of lives that were lost.  Lincoln refused to budge saying “I can’t spare this man–he fights.”

Grant's capture of Vicksburg was a pivotal victory for the Union. It split the Confederacy in two and gave the Union complete control of the Mississippi River.  In October of 1863 Lincoln promoted Grant to Major General and then in March of 1864 to Lieutenant General of the Union Army. Grant was the first since George Washinton to achieve this rank.  His demonstration of leadership and willingness to fight built  Lincoln’s confidence in him.  Grant would continue to lead the Union Army for the rest of the Civil War.  on April 9th, 1865 General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.  By the end of May the war was officially over.

Between Lee’s surrender and the official end of the war, tragedy struck the nation when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford Theater on April 14, 1865.  Grant had attended a cabinet meeting with Lincoln that day but had declined an invitation to the theater that evening. It is believed that Grant was also a target of Booth and his co-conspirators.  Grant said that Lincoln was the greatest man he had ever known.

Post War

Andrew Johnson who had been Lincoln’s Vice President was now President.  Grant was determined to work with Johnson to help restore the union.  Grant and his army were charged with overseeing reconstruction in the southern states.  Johnson did not agree with his enforcement of reconstruction laws that were passed in congress overriding his veto.  Johnson was from Tennessee and sought policies that were lenient on the south and would quickly restore the southern states in full.  Congress and Grant did not see it that way.  Grant and Johnson would battle for the rest of his term over reconstruction.  In the end, Johnson would face impeachment and was not nominated for re-election. 

President Grant

Grant would unanimously win the republican nomination for president in 1868. He would go on to win the 1868 election and become the 18th United States President on March 4, 1869.  He was the youngest President up to that time at the age of 46.

Grant's presidency was surrounded by controversies and scandals.  He was not directly linked to these scandals but his administration was tainted by it.  One such perceived scandal was being seen with gold speculators who were trying to corner the gold market.  Even though he was not involved, being seen with them gave the public a perception that he was corrupt.  He has also accepted gifts from powerful admirers.  Again, the perception was that the gifts were actually bribes.  

Grant’s focus was on continuing reconstruction in the south.  He signed laws giving black people rights in Washington D.C. as well as granting citizenship to black people in the United States.  The 15th amendment was ratified during Grant’s presidency as well.  This ensured that the right to vote would not be denied based on race, color, or previously being a slave.  The Department of Justice was created to enforce reconstruction and fight against the Ku Klux Klan.  Grant was more than willing to use military force to enforce reconstruction and apply pressure on the southern states to abide by federal law.  

During Grant’s 2nd term, the appetite for reconstruction and the fight for equality began to wane.  The south began to revert back to pre-war norms and democrats regained control.  Congress failed to pass key legislation and the Supreme Court ruled some reconstruction laws unconstitutional.  Reconstruction in the south essentially died when Grant left office.  

Later Years

After leaving office, Grant said that he "was never so happy in my life.” He and his wife embarked on a 2 and a half year tour of the world.  They traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa, India, and the Middle East.  The trip's expense along with his continued business failures left the Grants broke.  In the summer of 1884 Grant was diagnosed with cancer.  An outpouring of sympathy for Grant and his wife began to flow from a grateful nation.  Congress restored him to the rank of General of the Army in order to reinstate his pension.  He also began to write articles about his Civil War experience in order to leave his wife in a better financial situation.  His articles were popular and he was offered a book deal from his friend Mark Twain who also wanted to help him financially. 

He worked tirelessly on his memoirs about his life through the Civil War.  He finished on July 18, 1885. He would die 5 days later on July 23, 1885.  All of his hard work to ensure his wife was taken care of financially after his death paid off.  The book was a massive success earning Julia Grant the modern day equivalent of over $15 million dollars. 

Over 1.5 million people attended funeral ceremonies in New York alone.  Ceremonies were also held in other major cities.  Even though many of his pursuits in life had been failures and his presidency was surrounded by scandal, Grant died a hero to many Americans.  Though, I’m sure many in the south didn't feel that way. President Grover Cleveland ordered a 30 day period of nationwide mourning.  Grant is now buried in the General Grant National Memorial in Manhattan. 

Ulysses S. Grant was a failed farmer and businessman.  At times he let alcohol get in the way of his duties.   For most of us, we fail more than we succeed.  What matters is what we do after we fail.  After his failures, Grant went on to be a Civil War hero, the 18th President of the United States, and he wrote a best selling book in his dying days securing his wife’s financial future.

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