Ulysses S. Grant | whitehouse.gov Air Force One Ulysses S. Grant In 1865, as commanding general, Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Armies to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War. As an American hero, Grant was later elected the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877), working to implement Congressional Reconstruction and to remove the vestiges of slavery. Late in the administration of Andrew Johnson, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant quarreled with the President and aligned himself with the Radical Republicans. He was, as the symbol of Union victory during the Civil War, their logical candidate for President in 1868. When he was elected, the American people hoped for an end to turmoil. Grant provided neither vigor nor reform. Looking to Congress for direction, he seemed bewildered. One visitor to the White House noted "a puzzled pathos, as of a man with a problem before him of which he does not understand the terms." Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner.

He went to West Point rather against his will and graduated in the middle of his class. In the Mexican War he fought under Gen. Zachary Taylor. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was working in his father's leather store in Galena, Illinois. He was appointed by the Governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment. Grant whipped it into shape and by September 1861 he had risen to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. He sought to win control of the Mississippi Valley. In February 1862 he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers. At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. President Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, "I can't spare this man--he fights." For his next major objective, Grant maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, and thus cut the Confederacy in two. Then he broke the Confederate hold on Chattanooga.

Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief in March 1864. Grant directed Sherman to drive through the South while he himself, with the Army of the Potomac, pinned down Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Finally, on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered. Grant wrote out magnanimous terms of surrender that would prevent treason trials. As President, Grant presided over the Government much as he had run the Army. Indeed he brought part of his Army staff to the White House. Although a man of scrupulous honesty, Grant as President accepted handsome presents from admirers. Worse, he allowed himself to be seen with two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk. When Grant realized their scheme to corner the market in gold, he authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to sell enough gold to wreck their plans, but the speculation had already wrought havoc with business. During his campaign for re-election in 1872, Grant was attacked by Liberal Republican reformers.

He called them "narrow-headed men," their eyes so close together that "they can look out of the same gimlet hole without winking." The General's friends in the Republican Party came to be known proudly as "the Old Guard." Grant allowed Radical Reconstruction to run its course in the South, bolstering it at times with military force. After retiring from the Presidency, Grant became a partner in a financial firm, which went bankrupt. About that time he learned that he had cancer of the throat. He started writing his recollections to pay off his debts and provide for his family, racing against death to produce a memoir that ultimately earned nearly $450,000. Soon after completing the last page, in 1885, he died. The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The Presidents of the United States of America,” by Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey. Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association. Learn more about Ulysses S. Grant 's spouse, Julia Dent Grant . US Presidents Timeline Home > Timelines > US Presidents Timeline US Presidents Timeline Timeline Description: The American people fought the British to have their own country and government.

This is the list of American presidents in timeline. Date 1789 George Washington (1789-1797) George Washington was elected America's first president. There was some debate about whether the people wanted a king or a president, but Mr. Washington was not interested in being a king. 1797 John Adams (1797-1801) John Adams became America's second president. Mr. Adams was the first president to live in the White House. 1801 Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) Thomas Jefferson was elected the third president of the United States of America. He was most famous for writing the Declaration of Independence. 1809 James Madison (1809-1817) James Madison was elected as the fourth United States president. He led the country through the War of 1812, and later became known as the father of the Bill of Rights. 1817 James Monroe (1817-1825) James Monroe became the country's fifth president. President Monroe's presidency was calm because there was little fighting between the political parties during his term.

1825 John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) John Quincy Adams became America's sixth president. His father, John Adams, was America's second president. They were the first father/son in history to both be president! 1829 Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) Andrew Jackson was elected as the 7th U.S. president. He was a rough and tough president, and he was the first president to ride on a train. 1837 Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) Martin Van Buren became the eighth American president. He served during an American depression, and most people did not consider him successful. 1841 William Henry Harrison (1841) William Henry Harrison became America's ninth president. He served the briefest term as president when he died only a month after moving into office. 1841 John Tyler (1841-1845) John Tyler became the tenth American president. He took over President Harrison's term, but it wasn't an easy transition. President Tyler had fifteen children! 1845 James K.

Polk (1845-1849) James K. Polk was elected the 11th U.S. president. He served during the Mexican War and added the states of Texas and California the United States territory. 1849 Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) Zachary Taylor became the 12th president of America. During his presidency the south threatened to leave the union, and Mr. Taylor tried to keep that from happening. He died during his second year in office. 1850 Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) Millard Fillmore was elected as America's thirteenth president. He approved a compromise that kept the southern states from seceding, but the compromise didn't last. 1853 Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) Franklin Pierce moved into office as the fourteenth president. Mr. Pierce did away with the compromise that President Fillmore had enacted. 1857 James Buchanan (1857-1861) James Buchanan became America's 15th president. Mr.

Buchanan failed to keep the southern states happy, and they seceded from the union. 1861 Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) Abraham Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth president. He abolished slavery in the country. In 1865 he was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth. 1865 Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) Andrew Johnson becomes the seventeenth president. Mr. Johnson was a southern senator who stayed loyal to the union. 1869 Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) Ulysses S. Grant became the eighteenth United States president. Mr. Grant was the most famous union general during the Civil War. 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) Rutherford B. Hayes was elected the 19th American president. Mr. Hayes' wife was the first president's wife to graduate from college. 1881 James A. Garfield (1881) James A. Garfield moved into office as the twentieth president. He was assassinated in his first year of office.

1881 Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885) Chester A. Arthur became the twenty-first American president. He served during a fairly successful time in American history. He helped create the Civil Service. 1885 Grover Cleveland (1885-1889) Grover Cleveland stepped into office as the 22nd president. He served for two non-consecutive terms. This means the terms weren't back to back. 1889 Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) Benjamin Harrison became the country's twenty-third president. His grandfather was president too. He was William Henry Harrison, the ninth president. 1893 Grover Cleveland (1893-1897) Grover Cleveland started his second term. An economic depression hit the country during Mr. Cleveland's second term, and he was not considered a successful president. 1897 William McKinley (1897-1901) William McKinley became the 25th president. He expanded America's territories by acquiring overseas colonies. He was assassinated.

1901 Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) Theodore Roosevelt was elected as America's twenty-sixth president. He traveled abroad during his presidency. He was the first president to do this. 1909 William Howard Taft (1909-1913) William Howard Taft became the 27th president. He continued many of Roosevelt's policies and he later became a Supreme Court Justice. 1913 Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) Woodrow Wilson was elected the country's twenty-eighth president. At first he opposed America entering World War 1, but he ended up drafting the peace treaty that helped to end it. 1921 Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) Warren G. Harding became the 29th president. President Harding's presidency was the first in which women were allowed to vote. 1923 Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) Calvin Coolidge stepped into office. He was the thirtieth president, and he had a prosperous presidency.

1929 Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) Herbert Hoover became the thirty-first American president. A few months into office the stock market crashed, so Mr. Hoover ushered in the Great Depression. 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) Franklin D. Roosevelt became America's 32nd president. He led the country out of the Great Depression, and he also led the people to victory during World War 2. He is famous for his Pearl Harbor speech in 1941. 1945 Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) Harry S. Truman was elected the thirty-third president. President Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. World War 2 ended five days later. 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower became the 34th president. President Eisenhower helped end the Korean War. 1961 John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) John F. Kennedy became the thirty-fifth American president. Mr. Kennedy worked with Martin Luther King to bring about the Civil Rights movement.

He was assassinated during his third year as president. 1963 Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president. He took John F. Kennedy's place after President Kennedy was assassinated. 1969 Richard Nixon (1969-1974) Richard Nixon became Americas' 37th president. He got mixed up in the Watergate scandal and ended up getting impeached. He is the only president to resign from the office of president. 1974 Gerald Ford became the thirty-eighth president. He came into office after President Nixon resigned. 1977 Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) Jimmy Carter was elected as the 39th president. After his presidency ended, Mr. Carter traveled the world doing charity work. 1981 Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) Ronald Reagan was elected as the fortieth American president. Mr. Reagan brought national pride back to the country after the hard times of the 60's and 70's. He also survived an assassin's bullet.

1989 George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) George H. W. Bush became the forty-first president. President Bush ended the Cold War and led the first war with Iraq. 1993 Bill Clinton (1993-2001) Bill Clinton was elected as the 42nd U.S. president. He did many good things for the country like the NAFTA trade agreement, but he was later faced impeachment. 2001 George W. Bush (2001-2009) George W. Bush became the forty-third president. His father had been the forty-first president from 1989-1993. President Bush was in office on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked America. 2009 Barack Obama (2009-present) Barack Obama was elected America's forty-fourth president. He was the first African-American to be elected as president. American President—Miller Center Citation Information Chicago Style Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. “Ulysses S. Grant.” Accessed January 20, 2017. ­/president/grant.

Consulting Editor Joan Waugh Professor Waugh is a professor of history at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her writings include: U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth (University of North Carolina Press, 2009) Wars within a War: Controversy and Conflict over the American Civil War (editor with Gary W. Gallagher, University of North Carolina Press, 2009) The Memory of the Civil War in American Culture (editor with Alice Fahs, University of North Carolina Press, 2004) Unsentimental Reformer: The Life of Josephine Shaw Lowell (Harvard University Press, 1998) Timeline: Guide to U.S. Presidents | Scholastic Timeline: Guide to U.S. Presidents Information on every president's birthplace, political party, term of office, and more Grades 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 This special guide to the presidents highlights vital information about the men who have led our country. 1. George Washington Born: February 22, 1732; Westmoreland County, Virginia.

Died: December 14, 1799 Age when inaugurated: 57 Famous Facts: The first President unified the new nation and shaped the chief executive's duties. He refused to run for a third term. On their wedding day, Martha Washington gave him a miniature portrait of herself. He wore it on a chain around his neck until his death 40 years later. Born: October 30, 1735; Braintree, Massachusetts Died: July 4, 1826 Famous Facts: Adams was the first President to live in the White House. Adams had a tough job filling Washington's shoes. His advocacy of the Alien and Sedition Acts allowed him to silence critics, but made him unpopular. He lost reelection to Thomas Jefferson. Born: April 13, 1743; Albemarle County, Virginia Died: July 4, 1826 Age when inaugurated: 57 Famous Facts: Considered the most brilliant President, he wrote the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and was an architect, a farmer, and a scientist.

Jefferson approved the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which nearly doubled the size of the U.S. Born: March 16, 1751; Port Conway, Virginia Died: June 28, 1836 Famous Facts: Madison is considered the father of the Bill of Rights. Madison presided over the War of 1812 with Britain, during which the White House was burned. The war ended in a draw. Born: April 28, 1758; Westmoreland County, Virginia Died: July 4, 1831 Famous Facts: Monroe lived out his retirement in poverty. His term is called the "Era of Good Feeling" because there was little partisan fighting. He formulated the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Americas off-limits to European meddling. Born: July 11, 1767; Braintree, Massachusetts Died: February 23, 1848 Age when inaugurated: 57 Famous Facts: John Adams and John Quincy Adams were the first father and son to have served as Presidents. Accused of winning the White House through corruption, he was plagued by accusations of misdeeds throughout his presidency.

After his presidency, Adams served nine terms in the House of Representatives, until his death in 1848. Born: March 15, 1767; Waxhaw settlement, South Carolina Died: June 8, 1845 Famous Facts: Jackson was the first President to ride on a train. Though he was a rich planter, Jackson was considered the common people's friend. Dubbed "Old Hickory" because he was so tough, Jackson greatly expanded the powers of the Presidency. Born: December 5, 1782; Kinderhook, New York Died: July 24, 1862. Party: Democratic Party: Democrat Age when inaugurated: 54 Famous Facts: Van Buren was the first President to be born an American citizen, rather than a British subject. Van Buren's Presidency was marred by an economic depression that led to bank failures and food riots. He was easily defeated for reelection. Born: February 9, 1773; Berkeley, Virginia Died: April 4, 1841 Age when inaugurated: 68 Famous Facts: Harrison delivered a marathon inaugural speech during which he caught a cold.

He died a month later. Harrison was the first President to die in office and he served the briefest term. Born: March 29, 1790; Greenway, Virginia Died: January 18, 1862 Famous Facts: Tyler had 15 children, more than any President. Tyler was expected to be a passive "acting President" while he finished Harrison's term. But he refused to be passive. He made enemies in Congress and was the first President to be threatened with impeachment. The effort failed. Born: November 2, 1795; near Pineville, North Carolina Died: June 15, 1849 Famous Facts: Polk is the only President to have served as Speaker of the House. Polk was the first "dark horse" or little-known nominee to become President. He presided over the Mexican War, which added Texas, California, and other territory to the U.S. Born: November 24, 1784; Orange County, Virginia Died: July 9, 1850 Age when inaugurated: 64 Famous Facts: Taylor won fame as a general in the Mexican War.

His soldiers called him "Old Rough and Ready." Taylor threatened to use force to keep the South from leaving the Union. After his death, a compromise allowed slavery to continue in the South. Born: January 7, 1800; Locke, New York Died: March 8, 1874 Age when inaugurated: 50 Famous Facts: Fillmore approved the Compromise of 1850, allowing slavery in the South. But neither North nor South was happy with it, and Fillmore was blamed for the law's failure. In 1856, Fillmore ran for President on the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party ticket. Born: November 23, 1804; Hillsboro, New Hampshire Died: October 8, 1869 Age when inaugurated: 48 Famous Facts: Pierce's wife hated Washington, D.C., so much, that she fainted when she found out he had been nominated for President. Pierce supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which gutted the Compromise of 1850.

Born: April 23, 1791; near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Died: June 1, 1868 Famous Facts: Buchanan was the only bachelor to ever serve in the White House. Buchanan tried in vain to find a compromise to keep the South from seceding from the Union, but failed. Born: February 12, 1809; near Hodgenville, Kentucky Died: April 15, 1865 Age when inaugurated: 52 Famous Facts: Lincoln led the Union into the Civil War to preserve the nation and end slavery. He was assassinated just five days after the Confederate armies surrendered. Polls show that Lincoln is the most admired President. Born: December 29, 1808; Raleigh, North Carolina Died: July 31, 1875 Age when inaugurated: 56 Famous Facts: Succeeding Lincoln, Johnson found himself in bitter battles with Congress over Reconstruction. He was impeached and tried by the Senate, but was acquitted by one vote. Johnson was the only southern senator to stay loyal to the Union.

Born: April 27, 1822; Point Pleasant, Ohio Died: July 23, 1885 Age when inaugurated: 46 Famous Facts: Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but an error on his application to West Point changed his name to Ulysses Simpson Grant. He liked the initials so much that he kept the name. Grant was the top Union military hero of the Civil War. His two terms were marred by scandals. Born: October 4, 1822; Delaware, Ohio Died: January 17, 1893 Age when inaugurated: 54 Famous Facts: Hayes is one of only three Presidents to lose the popular vote but win the office. He won the election by one electoral vote. Hayes's wife, Lucy, was the first First Lady to graduate from college. Born: November 19, 1831; Orange, Ohio Died: September 19, 1881 Age when inaugurated: 49 Famous Facts: Garfield set out to reform the "spoils system" by which politicians gave their friends low-level political offices.

He was assassinated by a disappointed office seeker. Garfield was the first left-handed President. Born: October 5, 1829; Fairfield, Vermont Died: November 18, 1886 Age when inaugurated: 51 Famous Facts: Arthur was unknown before being elected, but surprised people by being honest and responsible. He helped create the Civil Service. As a lawyer, Arthur defended a black woman who had been abused on a streetcar. He won the case, which led the streetcar companies to integrate. Born: March 18, 1837; Caldwell, New Jersey Died: June 24, 1908 Ages when inaugurated: 47; 55 Famous Facts: Cleveland is the only President to be elected to two non consecutive terms. Cleveland expanded the Civil Service and ended wasteful government programs. But an economic depression wrecked his second term.

Born: August 20, 1833; North Bend, Ohio Died: March 13, 1901 Age when inaugurated: 55 Famous Facts: Harrison was caught between reformers who were fighting the spoils system and those who wanted to continue it, and was defeated after one term. Harrison's grandfather was President William Henry Harrison. Born: March 18, 1837; Caldwell, New Jersey Died: June 24, 1908 Ages when inaugurated: 47; 55 Famous Facts: Cleveland expanded the Civil Service and ended wasteful government programs. But an economic depression wrecked his second term. Cleveland is the only President to be elected to two non consecutive terms. Born: January 29, 1843; Niles, Ohio Died: September 14, 1901 McKinley led the U.S. during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. won several important overseas colonies. Only moments after handing a girl his "lucky" red carnation, McKinley was assassinated.

Born: October 27, 1858; New York, New York Died: January 6, 1919 Age when inaugurated: 42 Famous Facts: Roosevelt was one of the most activist Presidents. His many accomplishments included the building of the Panama Canal, cracking down on business monopolies, and creating many national parks. Roosevelt was the first President to visit a foreign country while in office. Born: September 15, 1857; Cincinnati, Ohio Died: March 8, 1930 Age when inaugurated: 51 Famous Facts: Taft continued many of Roosevelt's policies. A conservative, he alienated the progressive wing of his party and lost reelection. Taft is the only President who became a Supreme Court Justice. Born: December 29, 1856; Staunton, Virginia Died: February 3, 1924 Age when inaugurated: 56 Famous Facts: After initially opposing World War I (1914-1918), Wilson led the U.S. into the war and drafted the peace plan that ended it.

Wilson then fought to create the League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations. Wilson was the first President to hold a news conference. Born: November 2, 1865; near Blooming Grove, Ohio Died: August 2, 1923 Age when inaugurated: 55 Famous Facts: Harding died in office, just as massive corruption in the Teapot Dome scandal was about to become public. Harding's election was the first in which women voted. Born: July 4, 1872; Plymouth Notch, Vermont Died: January 5, 1933 Age when inaugurated: 51 Famous Facts: Coolidge's term was marked by economic prosperity. However, he ignored signs that the stock market was likely to collapse.

Coolidge was known as "Silent Cal." Once a reporter said to him, "I bet my editor I could get more than two words out of you." Coolidge replied: "You lose." Born: August 10, 1874; West Branch, Iowa Died: October 20, 1964 Age when inaugurated: 54 Famous Facts: The stock market crashed a few months into Hoover's term. The Great Depression that followed was widely and some say unfairly blamed on Hoover. Hoover organized relief efforts in Europe after both World Wars. Born: January 30, 1882; Hyde Park, New York Died: April 12, 1945 Age when inaugurated: 51 Famous Facts: Roosevelt led the nation during the Great Depression of the 1930s and to victory in World War II (1941–1945). He also greatly expanded the size and role of the federal government through his New Deal social programs. Roosevelt is the only President elected four times.

Born: May 8, 1884; Lamar, Missouri Died: December 26, 1972 Age when inaugurated: 60 Famous Facts: Truman made the fateful decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. World War II ended days later. Truman also led the U.S. during the Korean War (1950-1953). On his desk, Truman had a plaque that said "The Buck Stops Here." Born: October 14, 1890; Denison, Texas Died: March 28, 1969 Age when inaugurated: 62 Famous Facts: A former World War II general and hero, Eisenhower helped end the Korean War and steered a moderate course during the Cold War. One of America's most famous soldiers, "Ike" had wanted to go to the Naval Academy instead of West Point. He was turned down for being too old. Born: May 29, 1917; Brookline, Massachusetts Died: November 22, 1963 Age when inaugurated: 43 Famous Facts: In 1962, the U.S.

and the Soviet Union hovered on the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy eventually forced the Soviets to back down. He was assassinated in the third year of his term. Kennedy is the only Roman Catholic to become President. Born: August 27, 1908; near Stonewall, Texas Died: January 22, 1973 Age when inaugurated: 55 Famous Facts: Johnson passed sweeping antipoverty and civil rights programs. However, he also involved the U.S. in the unpopular Vietnam War. Antiwar protests caused him to drop a reelection bid. Johnson was sworn into office on an airplane after the Kennedy assassination. Born: January 9, 1913; Yorba Linda, California Died: April 22, 1994 Age when inaugurated: 56 Famous Facts: During Nixon's first term, he improved relations with the Soviet Union and China and wound down the Vietnam War. But the Watergate scandal forced Nixon to resign before Congress could impeach him. Nixon is the only U.S. President in history to resign his office.

Born: July 14, 1913; Omaha, Nebraska Died: December 26, 2006 Age when inaugurated: 61 Famous Facts: Ford became Vice President after Nixon's Vice President resigned in disgrace, and President after Nixon resigned. His pardon of Nixon was unpopular, probably costing him reelection. Ford is the only President never elected President or Vice President. 39. James E. (Jimmy) Carter Born: October 1, 1924; Plains, Georgia Party: Democratic Age when inaugurated: 52 Famous Facts: Carter had success promoting Middle East peace. But soaring oil prices, high inflation, and the Iran hostage crisis made him look weak and ineffectual. Since leaving office, Carter has traveled the world doing charity work. Born: February 6, 1911; Tampico, Illinois Died: June 5, 2004 Age when inaugurated: 69 Famous Facts: Reagan is credited with reviving national pride after the turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s. He enjoyed great popularity, though his conservative policies were controversial.

Reagan is the only President to survive after being wounded by a would-be assassin. 41. George H. W. Bush Born: June 12, 1924; Milton, Massachusetts Party: Republican Age when inaugurated: 64 Famous Fact: During Bush's term, the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War ended. He also led the U.S. in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq. But economic troubles at home cost him his reelection bid. Bush was the first sitting Vice President to be elected President since Martin Van Buren. 42. William J. (Bill) Clinton Born: August 19, 1946; Hope, Arkansas Party: Democratic Age when inaugurated: 46 Famous Facts: Clinton achieved goals such as passage of the NAFTA trade agreement and cuts in the budget deficit. But his popularity was uneven and his second term was marred by scandal. When he was 16, Clinton met President Kennedy at the White House. The experience inspired his interest in politics. Born: July 6, 1946; New Haven, Connecticut Party: Republican.

Age when inaugurated: 54 Famous Facts: Just eight months after being sworn in, President Bush had to unite a mournful country after the September 11th terrorist attacks. A self-proclaimed wartime commander-in-chief, President Bush, like his father, led the United States into war against Iraq. Before focusing on national politics, George Bush was the managing partner and part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team from 1989-1998. The Ulysses S. Grant Administration: 1869-1877 The Ulysses S. Grant Administration: 1869-1877 The Ulysses S. Grant Administration (Republican, 1869-1877) 1869 inaugural address The famous Union Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant was considered a great general but a terrible president. He consistently ranks near the bottom of the historian's poll. In the military he had a reputation for putting the most qualified people in charge, and political reformers believed this would hold true in the White House as well.

As Grant became accustomed to party politics, however, he fully embraced partisanship, and many of the people he put in charge were corrupt. By the time he took office in 1869, most of the Confederate states had been restored to the Union with Republicans in control. The Fourteenth Amendment had been ratified, and the Fifteenth was making its way around the states. Issue: The Economy Ulysses S. Grant Americans believed the government should redeem the war-era paper currency (known as "greenbacks") for money coined with precious metals (known as specie). The specie issue would remain an central political issue until nearly the end of the century). The funds necessary to redeem the greenbacks would have to come from increased trade tariffs, and those depended on increased and stable trade. Grant, however, employed a hands-off approach to the economy. He gave approval for the Treasury Department to reduce the national debt and to gradually resume specie currency. Six months into his first term, market speculators James Fisk and Jay Gould saw in Grant's lack of direct action an opportunity to corner the gold market (buy enough to be able to control the price for it). Their plan would only work if Grant continued to do nothing.

They were relying on the influence of Grant's brother-in-law to convince the president not to sell government gold. On September 24, known as "black Friday," the price of gold soared, threatening many banks with ruin. Finally, Grant ordered Treasury Secretary George Boutwell to sell government gold reserves. With increased supply, the market recovered, but the episode undermined people's confidence in the Grant administration. Issue: Civil Service Reform Another major issue of the post Civil War era was reforming the Civil Service system. The term "Civil Service" was coined in 1872. It refers to any government position (in all three branches of government) that is an appointed position rather than an elected one. The system was often referred to as the "spoils system" because the winning candidate would use these positions as rewards for those who were loyal to him and helped him win the election. These people were rarely the most qualified, which resulted in massive incompetence. Civil Service reformers wanted a merit system, whereby test scores determine a person's qualifications for government positions. This would ensure that many of the employees working for the government would be good at their jobs. Grant applied his hands-off approach to this issue as well, allowing each cabinet member to set his own rules.

Some experimented with examinations, while others kept traditional spoils system. The lack of a single policy set by the party leader (the president) strained the Republican party and caused a split between more traditional Republican regulars and more liberal reform-minded Republicans. Issue: Republican Party Split Former Confederate states were now politically controlled by the Republican Party because of the Black vote. These state governments often engaged in activist politics, increasing taxes on White-owned properties. This did not sit well with ex-Confederate Democrats. Many reform-minded Republicans also didn't like that their party was reliant on the Black vote, and they 1873 Engraving of Grant's 2nd Inauguration sought better relations with the ex-Confederates (despite the racism and violence these Southerners promoted) in order to get the Republican regulars removed from state and local Southern office. Grant's refusal to set policy now angered both the regulars and the reformers. After the regulars started losing elections in the South to Republican liberals (in elections often marred by violence against Black voters), they demanded Grant do something. The regulars then expressed their frustration with Grant by rejecting his nomination a Supreme Court nomination.

This prompted the reformers to push even harder for reform, and for a moment it looked like Grant was heading in that direction. Then, however, the reformers opposed a treaty that would have annexed the island of Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic). Grant wanted the island as a site for a naval base. Now Grant took action. He ousted reformers from his cabinet and openly sided with regulars in the Senate. Grant then embraced the spoils system, handing out positions to party regulars. By 1872 it was the regulars who supported Grant for a second term, while the Republican liberals worked with the Democrats to seek another candidate and an end to Reconstruction. The 1872 Election The Liberal Republican party evolved out a coalition of unlikely bedfellows, with their common purpose being the defeat of Grant. They had different views on the leading issues of the day, including the tariff, civil service, black rights, and corruption. Three days into their convention in Cincinnati, they found that they had nominated New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley, a man that many of them opposed or personally despised. Greeley's position past abolitionist activities and his present view on protectionism made him an unlikely candidate.

What appealed to the Liberal Republicans was his more recent actions on behalf of sectional reconciliation. Greeley accepted the Liberal Republican nomination, in his own word, "with the distinct understanding that, if elected, I shall be president not of a party, but of the whole people, I accept your nomination, in the confident trust that the masses of our countrymen, North and South, are eager to clasp hands across the bloody chasm which has too long divided them, forgetting that they have been enemies in the joyful consciousness that they are, and must henceforth remain, brethren." In July, the Democratic Party also accepted Greeley as their candidate. Greeley campaigned early on agrarian and labor issues, but soon found himself promoting the idea that the main problem between North and South was and always had been a lack of understanding and communication. Greeley even claimed that the Ku Klux Klan was a product of the failure of Republicans to offer a swift and sweeping amnesty to the Confederates. Greeley appealed to many Southerners, who saw him as a chance to vote anti-Grant and pro-local autonomy and white supremacy.

In the upper midwest, Greeley gave more than 200 speeches in a five state swing from September 17-29, but along the way managed to offend Union veterans for their "pseudo-heroic" loyalty to Grant. He also distanced himself from black voters by snubbing a black delegation in Pennsylvania, and by suggesting that his past views of slavery and labor may have been mistaken. The Republicans responded by waving the "bloody shirt" once again (blaming the war and the assassination of Lincoln on Southerners & Democrats), and by unleashing Frederick Douglass, whose powerful oratory thrashed Greeley's Democratic allies as having murdered half a million men in an effort to destroy the government and to perpetuate slavery. With the economy showing signs of improvement, Grant easily won a second term with 55% of the popular vote. He was somewhat aided by Thomas Nast's relentless cartoon attack on Greeley in Harper's Weekly. 1872 Election Gallery KKK Poster Issue: Reconstruction The reconstruction agenda was most vigorously opposed by the Ku Klux Klan, an organization created in 1866 by veterans of the Confederate Army.

It focused on intimidating "carpetbaggers," "scalawags," and freed slaves. The KKK quickly adopted violent methods, reacting in a quick reaction and a decline in the Klan's membership and power beginning in 1868. In his 1869 Inaugural Address , Grant spoke of ensuring the right to vote regardless of "race, color or previous condition of servitude." He worked hard his first year in office to get the Fifteenth Amendment passed, which guaranteed the right to vote for black men. Grant's efforts sought and achieved for a short time meaningful social gains for black Americans. Grant knew that the central test of his newfound will was the suppression of Southern violence against Blacks. In 1871 he signed the Civil Rights Act, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, authorizing him to declare martial law. The Klan was disrupted and Republican regulars carried most of the Southern states. After the 1872 election, however, Grant reached out to Southern Democrats, hoping for some measure of reconciliation. The differences between them, however, were too great. Most Southern Democrats were deeply racist. In particular, they were against the use of tax money to provide state services for poor blacks.

In response to Grant's efforts at making peace with them, Southern Democrats formed White leagues that used violence to keep blacks from voting. Reformer Republicans, now against Grant, were upset at reports of widespread regular Republican corruption in the South, and used their power to block Grant's efforts at stopping the violence and punishing ex-Confederates who were committing the violent acts. In the meantime, Northern voters were growing weary of the use of the military to protect Southern blacks and of corruption within the Republican party. By 1875 and 1876, Southern Democrats were able to retake control of their state governments. Reconstruction Images "Would You Marry Your Daughter to a Nigger?", Harper's Weekly, July 1, 1868 "Would You Marry Your Daughter to a Nigger?" Harper's Weekly, July 1, 1868. After the Civil War, the Democratic Party used the slogan, "would you marry your daugther to a nigger?" to keep their constituency in line. However, in 1868, they nearly nominated U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, a former anti-slavery activist.

During Chase's campaign, Nast put the question back to the Democrats, depicted here as a homely Irish-American woman. The other figures in the cartoon are leading Democratic politicians. On the left side (l-r): John Hoffman, New York gubernatorial candidate; John Morrissey, Tammany Hall associate and former prize-fighter; Fernando Wood (background), former New York City mayor; Manton Marble, New York World editor; Senator Thomas Hendricks of Indiana, a presidential candidate; and, James Gordon Bennett Sr., former New York Herald editor. On the right side (l-r): Horatio Seymour, former New York governor and eventual 1868 presidential nominee; Representative James Brooks of New York; Clement Vallandingham, former leader of the Peace Democrats; Senator James Doolittle of Wisconsin (background), a presidential candidate; George Pendleton, 1864 vice presidential nominee and the leading 1868 presidential candidate; Raphael Semmes (background), famed Confederate admiral; and Nathan Bedford Forrest, former Confederate general of Fort Pillow infamy. "A Political Discussion", Harper's Weekly, November 20, 1869, by W.L. Sheppard.

From the Harper's Weekly Text: In the subjoined illustration our artist represents a characteristic group of freedmen in the streets of Richmond, engaged in the discussion of the political situation. It is by no means an unfamiliar scene. The colored men, knowing how intimately connected their race has been with the political conflicts of the last twenty years, with the origin of the rebellion, and with the problem of "reconstruction," naturally take a great interest in politics; and in some of the Southern States they hold the balance of power. It will be seen, by a reference to our picture, that there is a difference of opinion. The wood-sawyer, on the left, is doubtless a Conservative; his opponent, the white-washer, is a Republican; while the negro seated on the right is a silent auditor, ready to acquiesce in whichever opinion gains the mastery. The earnestness of the argument is shown in the countenances and in the attitude of the disputants and of their listener. The picture, considered simply as a work of art, has merits of a very high order. The action is natural, and each member of the group is given a distinct individuality. The treatment of the subject is not less happy than its selection.

XVth Amendment: "Shoo Fly, Don't Bodder Me," Harper's Weekly, March 12, 1870 Left: "Shoo Fly, Don't Bodder Me," Harper's Weekly, March 12, 1870, unsigned. The Newly ratified Fifteenth Amendment gives this black man the right to cast his vote as he shoos away the irritating "flies"--the states that voted against the amendment's ratification. Right: "Time Works Wonders," Harper's Weekly, April 9, 1870, by Thomas Nast. Iago. (Jeff Davis.) "For that I do suspect the lusty Moor hath leap'd into my seat: the thought whereof doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards."--Othello. "The American River Ganges," Harper's Weekly, September 30, 1871 "The American River Ganges," Harper's Weekly, September 30, 1871, by Thomas Nast Roman Catholic clergy are depicted as crocodiles invading America's shore to devour the nation's schoolchildren--white, black, American Indian, and Chinese.??

(The white children are prominent in front, the rest are in the background.)?? The public school building stands as a fortress against the threat of theocracy, but it has been bombarded and flies Old Glory upside down to signal distress. Republican newspapers strongly opposed what they saw as the growing influence of the antiquated, theocratic Roman Catholic church. Irish Catholics, predominantly Democrats, were suspected of being more loyal to the Vatican than to the nation. "The Visit of the Ku-Klux," Harper's Weekly, February 24, 1872, by Frank Bellew From Harper's Weekly text: The artist, on page 160, pictures an outrage of frequent occurrence in some of the most turbulent districts of the Southern States. The scene is the interior of a Negro cabin, where the little family???fearing no evil???is gathered after the work of the day is over. Suddenly the door is opened, and a member of the Ku-Klux Klan appears, with gun in hand, to take the life of the harmless old man who sits at the fire-place, and whose only "crime" is his color. It is to be hoped that under a rigorous administration of the laws these deeds of violence will soon cease forever.

Below, Left: "Lincoln The Emancipator," Harper's Weekly, April 20, 1872, by C.S. Reinhart. "Lincoln The Emancipator," Harper's Weekly, April 20, 1872 Right: "The Louisiana Murders," Harper's Weekly, May 10, 1873. The 1872 state election results in Louisiana resulted in a dispute between two Republican factions, the regular Republicans (who supported Grant for the presidency) and Liberal Republicans and Democrats (who supported Greeley for the presidency). Both groups inaugurated their own governor and formed their own legislature. A federal district judge ruled that the regular Republicans had won, and President Grant sent federal troops to enforce the ruling. Many Louisiana whites failed to comply, and instead established a shadow government and resorted to terrorism to intimidate and attack blacks and white Republicans. The worst episode of violence was the Colfax Massacre of April 13, 1873. Two whites and 70 blacks died, many killed after they had surrendered.

Far left: "Colored Rule in a Reconstructed State," Harper's Weekly, November 7, 1874, by Thomas Nast. Left: "The Commandments in South Carolina," Harper's Weekly, September 26, 1874, by Thomas Nast. Right: "The Union as it Was," Harper's Weekly, October 24, 1874, by Thomas Nast. From the Harper's Weekly text: How easily wicked and treasonable organizations may gain the control over the peaceable and the industrious members of society has always been signally apparent at the South. A band of wild and desperate young men, maddened with whisky and torn by demoniac passions, is the governing power in Texas and Alabama, Georgia, and even Kentucky. Masked, "The Union as it Was," Harper's Weekly, October 24, 1874 armed, and supplied with horses and money by the Democratic candidates for office, they ride over the country at midnight, and perpetrate unheard-of enormities. It is said, and no doubt truly, that not one in a hundred of their fearful deeds is ever told.

Their enormous vices and crimes are faintly depicted in the Ku-Klux reports of 1872. Yet before these infamous associations Southern society trembles. They rob, they murder, they whip, they intimidate; yet no man, white or black, dares to denounce them. If a colored man ventures to tell of some frightful assassination which he saw in the dim midnight, he is himself dragged from the prison where he had been placed for safety and slaughtered, as happened recently in Tennessee, with horrible mockeries. If a United States official becomes conspicuous in politics, he is carried into the woods and shot, as at Coushatta. In Alabama and Louisiana the bands of young ruffians patrol the country by day as well as night, shooting down Republican voters. According to a recent estimate, there is a Republican majority of 20,000 in Louisiana, yet M???Enery and his band of assassins claim to have carried the last election, and hope to win the next by their usual outrages.

Nor does any Southern paper in Georgia, or Alabama, or Texas, and scarcely in Tennessee, venture even to denounce the murderers or the violators of the laws; or if any Northern journal, roused to a proper indignation by the wrongs inflicted upon peaceable settlers and citizens in the disturbed districts, calls for the suppression and punishment of the lawless crew, it is at once placed under the ban of the secret associations. Such "The Target," Harper's Weekly, February 6, 1875, by Thomas Nast journals (exclaims the Austin Daily Statesman) "are more to be hated than the rattlesnake." Harper???s Weekly has been especially marked in this way, and its sale is forbidden by no unmeaning threats to the booksellers of Austin. The White Leaguers are resolved that the power of a free press shall never be felt in the South, and hope to pursue their career of crime unimpeded by the voice of humanity or reason. Far Left: "Everything Points to a Democratic Victory This Fall," Harper's Weekly, October 31, 1874.

Contrary to the first black votes early in Reconstruction, this cartoon reflects how voting had become a physical risk for blacks in Southern states by late 1874. Left: "The Target," Harper's Weekly, February 6, 1875, by Thomas Nast "To Thine Own Self Be True," Harper's Weekly, April 24, 1875, by Thomas Nast. "These Few Precepts In Thy Memory" Beware of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in, Bear it that the opposer may beware of thee. Give eveyr man thine ear, but few thy voice: Take each man's censure, but reserve they judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can but, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy: For the apparel oft proclaims the man. This above all,--To thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man --Shakespeare Grant working on his memoirs In the meantime, a series of scandals continued to undermine Grant's political capital.

Then a depression in Europe spread to the US, and Grant's inability to appoint qualified men became more and more apparent. Though Grant was interested in serving a third term, his party stuck to the tradition of a two-term maximum. In 1876, the Republicans nominated Rutherford B. Hayes, and Grant's political life was over. After leaving office, Grant lent his name to a brokerage firm that ended up cheating Grant and their clients of all their money. Grant was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1884. He began writing his memoirs in the hope that the royalties would provide financial security for his family. Terminally ill with throat cancer, he struggled to finish the manuscript, finishing it only a month before his death. The book was a huge success, selling over 300,000 copies and earning his family nearly a half million dollars (in 1880's currency). Grant died on July 23, 1885. College education of American presidents By editor at successdegrees Leave a Comment The American president may be the most powerful single person in the world. You have to hope and pray that he or she is extremely smart.

But there’s certainly no standard degree to get or school you can attend to become president. As you’ll see on this list, the education of US presidents is as diverse as the politicians themselves. While several of our leaders have earned degrees from the top schools in the country, many, including some recent presidents, have come from humble backgrounds and studied at small, less-famous colleges. Nine presidents never went to college, Harry Truman being the most recent non-college grad. A whole lot of them – 25 including Barack Obama – were lawyers, though not all of those 25 actually completed law school. Four chief executives were professional soldiers. Just one president, William Harrison, attended medical school. An odd statistic that has little to do with education, but may say something about socialization: there has never been a single president elected who was an only child. Here’s a picture of the higher education of American presidents, since the beginning of the republic: George Washington 1809 – 1865 President 1861 – 1865 No college education. Lincoln had less than one full year of formal education in his life, in a log cabin school taught by unqualified teachers.

He did a great deal of reading at home, and later worked in a store, where he had an opportunity to spend time reading numerous newspapers and other periodicals of the day. Went into Illinois politics after a very brief military career. Andrew Johnson 1808 – 1875 President 1865 – 1869 No college education. Johnson grew up in poverty. Opened a tailor shop as a young man began participating in debates at an academy in his home town, which led him into politics. Ulysses S. Grant 1822 – 1885 President 1869 – 1877 Attended United States Military Academy (West Point) only because his father pressured him to do so, and graduated in the middle of his class. Rutherford B. Hayes United States Military Academy (West Point) Became president of Columbia University after his political career John Kennedy President 1961 – 1963 (assassinated) Graduated from elite prep school Choate, voted “Most likely to become President” by classmates there Entered London School of Economics, undergraduate, but returned home after just three weeks due to poor health Princeton University, undergraduate.

Attended six weeks before being sent home to be observed for possible diagnosis of leukemia Harvard University, competed undergraduate degree, graduated cum laude Stanford Graduate School of Business. Left before completing degree to join military Lyndon Johnson 1908 – 1973 President 1963 – 1969 Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now called Texas State University-San Marcos) undergraduate. Dropped out but returned after one year to complete his degree in education. Georgetown University Law School. Withdrew before completing degree Richard Nixon Whittier College (small, Quaker college in California), undergraduate Duke University Law School. Attended on scholarship (came from poor family), graduated third in class Gerald Ford 1913 – 2006 President 1974 – 1977 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, undergraduate degree in economics & political science (played on school’s football team, which won national championship twice. Turned down offers from two NFL teams) Yale Law School.

Graduated in top 25% of class Jimmy Carter President 1977 – 1981 First member of his family to complete a high school education Georgia Southwestern College, transferred to Georgia Tech, then transferred to United States Naval Academy, where he received a B.S. degree After serving on submarines in both Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, did graduate study in nuclear technology and physics at Union College. Left before completing graduate degree to be senior office on U.S. Navy’s second nuclear submarine, the Seawolf. Ronald Reagan 1911 – 2004 President 1981 – 1989 Eureka College, undergraduate degree in sociology and economics (school of less than 250 students in Illinois where Reagan said he could have reasonably been “accused of majoring in extracurricular activities.”) George H. W. Bush 1924 – President 1989 – 1993 After attending prestigious prep school Andover Academy, became the youngest pilot in the U.S. Navy at to win his wings at age 18.

After military career, attended Yale University, undergraduate (captain of Yale baseball team) Bill Clinton 1946 – President 1993 – 2001 Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (partial scholarship), undergraduate, Earned Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service University of Oxford – Studied government on a Rhodes Scholarship Yale Law School, J.D. Degree George W. Bush

Question: Which American President was in office 1869-1877?
Answer: ULYSSES S GRANT