Happy Birthday U. S. Grant
I'm sending this from my iPad, so I'll have to come back later and edit this to add pictures and such.
On April 27, 1822 (190 years ago today) Hiram Ulysses Grant (who would later become known as Ulysses S. Grant) was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. To me he is one of the most interesting Presidents, in part because of his previous career as the Union's most prominent general in the Civil War, and in part because his presidency is both praised and panned.
Despite some early setbacks in his business life, Grant came to the attention of President Abraham Lincoln as a result of his success in the western front of the Civil War. Lincoln was looking for a commander for the Army of the Potomac after a series of generals that he considered to be duds. Of Grant, Lincoln said "I like this man, he fights!" Grant was promoted by Lincoln and under his command the Union Army defeated the Confederate Army, culminating in the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army at Appomattox. Grant's reputation as a general is divergent, with many considering him to be a military genius, while others calling him "Grant the Butcher" and portraying him as a commander who was oblivious to high casualty numbers.
After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the ineffective presidency of Andrew Johnson, Grant was a logical choice for a nation calling for strong leadership in the oval office. In some areas he was very effective. He was committed to enforcing Lincoln's vision for reconstruction in the south and for protecting the rights of freedmen. On his watch Congress passed strong civil rights legislation, including the 15th Amendment to the Constitution which gave African-Americans voting rights. Unlike many of his successors, Grant put government muscle behind these initiatives. He used the army to enforce voting rights for southern freedmen and battled the Ku Klux Klan, temporarily ending their reign of terror. In this very important area, Grant deserves high marks.
But Grant is criticized for the numerous scandals which were allowed to fester within his administration. Grant had a network of old soldiers that he wanted to look after, and unfortunately many of them let him down. Grant himself wasn't personally implicated in these scandals, but he had an unfortunate habit of appointing the wrong people.
Grant was disappointed when his successor Rutherford Hayes removed the army from the southern states, leaving African-Americans at the mercy of vengeful white supremacist southerners. He sought the GOP nomination for president again in 1880, but was criticized both for seeking a third term and for his affiliation with the "Stalwarts" who used the "spoils system" to reward their friends.
To me, the greatest tribute to Grant's honesty was what happened at the end of his life. A corrupt business partner of his, who he met through his son Jesse, swindled a number of investors, leaving Grant holding the bag. After exhausting his personal resources to repay the cheated investors, Grant wrote his autobiography (encouraged by his friend Mark Twain). It was a huge financial success and it's proceeds paid off the balance of his creditors, and left his family financially secure. He finished the book just as he was going through the worst part of his terminal illness, throat cancer, no doubt caused by a life of constant cigar smoking. The memoirs are a great read, although they are mainly about his life as a soldier, but do not discuss his presidency.
Grant died at his home in Mount McGregor, New York on July 23, 1885 at the age of 63. His last words illustrate the unselfishness of the man: "I hope nobody will be distressed on my account."
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