Belonging to the Republican Party, Ulysses S. Grant was elected as the 18th President of the United States of America. He was the President from 1869-1877. After consecutive wins in the years 1868 and 1872, Grant was President for two complete terms.
His major opponent in the 1868 elections was Horatio Seymour of the Democratic Party, while in the 1872 elections; he had three major opponents in the form of Thomas A Hendricks, Horace Greeley and B. Gratz Brown.
Born on 27th April in the year 1822, Ulysses S. Grant, was the eldest child of Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant. He had nominal education and at the young age of 17 was admitted to the Military Academy at West Point in the United States of America. He was skilled in equestrian events but failed to join the cavalry. He exhibited his excellence in the Mexican War as a regimental quartermaster and fought under General Zachary Taylor.
He was also a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Regiment. But unfortunately, due to his drinking problem, he was compelled to resign from the American Army.
During the tumultuous period of the American Civil War, the Governor bestowed Grant with the responsibility of commanding an unorganized regiment. He did that job perfectly and was promoted to the rank of a Brigadier General. One of the most important events that made him popular was the victory over the Confederate Army and his control of the Mississippi River.
On this achievement, President Lincoln appreciated Grant’s endeavor by promoting him to the rank of a Major General. In 1864, Grant was made the Commander and the Lieutenant General of the Union Army of America. His seizure of Richmond and Vicksburg earned him international repute.
Ulysses S. Grant was already a widely popular figure when he ran for the Presidential elections in 1868. Predictably, he was elected the President in 1868 with Schuyler Colfax as his running mate. His ways of running a country matched his military ways and that inculcated great discipline in the file and ranks of the administrative echelon. Although his first term as a President was characterized by widespread peace, his second term as a President was a fraught with problems. A number of scandals and corruptions plagued the United States during his Presidency.
Facts |
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|---|---|
| Full Name: | Hiram Ulysses Simpson Grant |
| Date of Birth: | April 27, 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio |
| Died on: | July 23, 1885, Mount McGregor, New York |
| Burial site: | Grant’s Tomb, New York, New York |
| Parents: | Jess Root and Hannah Simpson Grant |
| Spouse: | Julia Boggs Dent (1826-1902; m. 1848) |
| Children: | Frederick Dent (1850-1912); Ulysses S. Jr. (1852-1929); Ellen “Nellie” Wrenshall (1855-1922); Jesse Root (1858-1934) |
| Religion: | Methodist |
| Education: | U.S. Military Academy, West Point (1843) |
| Profession(s): | Farmer; real estate agent; soldier |
| Government ranks: | Interim secretary of war (under Andrew Johnson) |
| Political Party: | Republican |
| President Term: | March 4, 1869-March 4, 1873 (first term); March 4, 1873-March 4, 1877 |
| Age when assumed office: | 46 |
Outcome of the Elections |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | Presidential / Vice Presidential Candidates | Popular votes | Electoral votes |
| Ulysses S. Grant / Schuyler Colfax (Republican) | 3012833 | 214 | |
| Horatio Seymour / Francis P. Blair Jr. (Democrat) | 2703249 | 80 | |
| 1872 | Presidential / Vice Presidential Candidates | Popular votes | Electoral votes |
| Ulysses S. Grant / Henry Wilson (Republican) | 3597132 | 286 | |
| Horace Greeley / Benjamin G. Brown (Democratic) | 2834079 | ——– | |
Snapshot of Ulysses S. Grant’s life |
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|---|---|
| 1822 | Born in Ohio |
| 1843 | Graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York |
| 1846-48 | Serves in the Mexican War; twice cited for bravery in Combat |
| 1854 | Resigns from military |
| 1861 | Civil War begins; Grant rises from commander of a volunteer regiment to the rank of lieutenant general, which until then had been held only by George Washington |
| 1865 | Accepts surrender of Confederate general Robert E. Lee effectively ending the Civil War |
| 1869-77 | Serves two terms as eighteenth U.S. President |
| 1869 | Financial crisis called Black Friday causes stock market to close on September 24 |
| 1872-73 | Credit Mobilier financial scandal hits Grant administration |
| 1873 | Another financial crisis-the Panic of 187-hits the United States |
| 1877 | Grant family tours the world, and Grant meets with the heads of state of many European, African, and Asian nations |
| 1880 | Grant tries for an unprecedented third term, but loses nomination to James A. Garfield |
| 1885 | Grant dies in New York, shortly after completing Personal Memories of U.S. Grant, which becomes a best-seller |
Presidential Term and its details |
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|---|---|
| Dates: | March 4, 1869-March 4, 1873 (first term); March 4, 1873-March 4, 1877 |
| Vice President: | Schuyler Colfax (1869-73) |
| Henry Wilson (1873-75) | |
| None (1875-77) | |
Ulysses S. Grant was one of the leaders of the Radical Reconstruction team and strengthened the position of the Republican Party in the southern parts of the country. He is famous for his support towards and works done in the field of African American civil rights. As a President, Grant worked tirelessly towards improving the condition of the African American population. His memoirs, which he wrote during his Presidential years, are still loved by general readers and critics alike.
the last days of this illustrious US President were painful as he suffered from throat cancer. However, he wrote an autobiography before his death on 23rd July 1885. the name of the autobiography is ‘the Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant’.
Some highly interesting trivia about the life of Ulysses S. Grant are as follows:
- Since he was a specialized horse rider, Grant was once arrested and fined for riding his horse very fast, while he was the President.
- His breakfast remained the same with a cucumber soaked in vinegar.
- He preferred his meat to be cooked black, because he could not stand the red color of blood and so could not eat rare meat.
- In his younger days, Grant’s friends called him ‘Useless’ after his name Ulysses.
- Grant had received around 20,000 cigars in his life, but he hardly smoked any.
Some of the most famous quotes by Ulysses S. Grant include the following :
- “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity”.
- “It is men who wait to be selected, and not those who seek, from whom we may expect the most efficient service”.
- “Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves”.
- “In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins”.
- “Labor disgraces no man; unfortunately, you occasionally find men who disgrace labor”.