The presidency of Ulysses S. Grant began on March 4, 1869, when Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated as the 18th president of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1877. Grant took office in the aftermath of the Civil War, and he presided over much of the Reconstruction Era. In 1872, Grant signed into law an Act of Congress that established Yellowstone National Park, the nation's first National Park. A strong economy, reduction of the national debt, federal spending, tariffs, and the federal workforce, aided Grant in getting reelected. A strong economy, reduction of the national debt, federal spending, tariffs, and the federal workforce, aided Grant in getting reelected. In March 1869, President Grant made it known he desired the Tenure of Office Act repealed, stating it was a 'stride toward a revolution in our free system'.