Ulysses S. Grant was a heroic figure for many
reasons. He was a great leader of the Union forces during the Civil War. He won
many battles and held the Union together. His presidential years also had
positive outcomes of the future of the United States.
Grant's life was a long and interesting one. He
was born at Point Pleasant, OH on April 27, 1822 (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). He
was the son of Hannah Simpson and Jesse Grant (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). After
he got out of school he went to West Point Military Academy and graduated 21st
in his class of 39 in 1843 (Encarta, 1995). After graduating West Point he then
was promoted to the Army.
Grant was assigned to Jefferson Barracks, MO (World
Book CD-ROM, 1995). There he met Julia Dent and married a few months later
(Encarta, 1995). They had a family of four children and moved to St. Louis.
Grant built a cabin named Hardscrabble on his farm now known as Grant's Farm in
Grantwood, St. Louis. Ulysses S. Grant died on July 23, 1885 after battling
throat cancer for several months (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). His wife Julia
Grant died in 1902 and was buried with Ulysses S. Grant at the Grant National
Memorial in New York City (World Book CD-ROM, 1995).
Being stationed at Jefferson Barracks, MO
marked his leadership and career in the Army and his role he played in the
Civil War. In 1854 Grant
resigned from the
army and moved to his cabin with his family. Disaster struck
and the price of
crops dropped dramatically. Grant's farm was mainly crops and
he lost all his
crops in the price change and lost tons of money (Encarta, 1995). Since no one
was buying crops there wasn't anymore income for his family. Grant heard about
a meeting that was being held to talk about the war. President Lincoln attended
and liked Grant's comments and enthusiasm and asked him to rejoin the Union
forces (WWW Page, 1994). Grant had no other choice but to join since he didn't
have any other way of making money.
Grant's regiment went to Louisiana in 1844 and
to Texas in 1845 (Encarta, 1995). He was in an area claimed by both Mexico and
the United states when the Mexican War started in 1846 (World Book CD-ROM,
1995). Grant became regimental quartermaster and in charge of supplies. In 1847
Grant took part in the capture of Mexico City and won praise and promotions for
his skills (WWW Page, 1994). Grant was appointed Colonel by the Illinois
volunteers in 1861 shortly after the Civil War broke out (World Book CD-ROM,
1995).
Grant was 39 when the war started and he led
his troops into the battle of Shiloh. Grant defeated and captured the
confederate troops there. The battle of Shiloh was the mark of the downfall of
the confederate army (WWW Page, 1994). After the battle of Shiloh Grant led his
troops into a very long siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vicksburg was the key
to the Mississippi River and couldn't be taken by the confederate troops, so
Grant had to take action (WWW Page, 1994). The battle
of Vicksburg
started in December of 1862 and ended on July 4, 1863. Grant won the battle of
Vicksburg and saved the Mississippi River and Grant declared a
unconditional
surrender on the confederate troops (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). Grant then got
the nickname "unconditional surrender." Ulysses S. Grant wrote a letter to president
Lincoln asking for a promotion and permission to invade Fort Henry, the key to
open the Kentucky and Tennessee territory (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). Lincoln
looked at all of Grant's accomplishments and said, "They were very
exceptional and showed his great leadership (WWW Page, 1994)." Lincoln
gave permission to invade Fort Henry and on April 6, 1862, Grant then led his
troops into battle at Fort Henry, Mississippi. After two days battling the
confederate troops Grant's troops defeated them and won another victory for the
Union on April 7, 1862 (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). On March 9, 1864 Ulysses S.
Grant was appointed Commander of all the Union forces (WWW Page, 1994). Grant
was preparing for his final battle of the Civil War at Fort Stedman. On the
same day, Lincoln landed from the River Queen at City Point for a series of
conferences with Grant (WWW Page, 1994). Grant sent his troops around the right
end of Lee's line in order to force Lee to retreat (O'Brien, Steven. 1991).
Grant's victory at Five Forks forced Lee to abandon and surrender on April 9,
1865 (O'Brien, Steven. 1991). The Civil War was now over. Grant helped with the
reconstruction of the South and this comes to show he played a major roll in
re-uniting the North and the South.
After the Civil War, Grant was elected
president on March 4, 1869 (Encarta,
1995). He was our
18th President and was a Democrat. Grant signed his first law
on March 18, 1869
an Act to Strengthen the Public Credit, pledging the
government to
redeem in gold the greenback currency issued during the Civil War (O'Brien,
Steven. 1991). The Transcontinental Railroad was also finished during the first
two months of his presidency (WWW Page, 1994). In 1870 Amendment 15 to the
Constitution was adopted by Grant (O'Brien, Steven. 1991).
The 15th Amendment was: "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 (WWW Page, 1994)." On
November 5, 1872 Grant was reelected with an electoral college majority of
286-66, and a popular majority of
763,000 (O'Brien, Steven. 1991). During his second term as president his
government became corrupted. He hired officials that were his friends that used
their power to make money and get what they wanted. On May 1, 1875 a group of
corrupt officials and businessmen known as the Whisky Ring was exposed by a St.
Louis Democrat (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). An investigation ordered by Secretary
of the Treasury Benjamin H. Bristow compromised with Grant and General Orville
E. Babcock, Grant's private secretary. Upon first hearing of the scandals,
Grant had ordered: "Let no guilty man escape (WWW Page, 1994)." Later, Grant's testimony influenced a jury to
acquit Babcock (O'Brien, Steven. 1991). After this scandal was uncovered Grant
wrote a public letter announcing that he would not be a candidate for a third
term (World Book CD-ROM, 1995). In Grant's
last message to
Congress Grant surveyed his years in the White House. "It was
my fortune, or
misfortune, to be called to the office of Chief Executive without
any previous
political training. From the age of 17 I had never even witnessed the
excitement attending a Presidential campaign but twice antecedent to my own
candidacy, and at but one of them was I eligible as a voter (WWW Page,
1994)." On March 4, 1877 Grant retired from the White House (Encarta,
1995). When he returned home, his family and him took a world trip and left
from Philadelphia (O'Brien, Steven. 1991).
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