Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was the 18th President of the United States (1869–77). As Commanding General of the United States Army (1864–69), Grant worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln to lead the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He implemented Congressional Reconstruction, often at odds with Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson. Twice elected president, Grant led the Republicans in their effort to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism and slavery, protect African-American citizenship, and support economic prosperity nationwide. His presidency has often come under criticism for protecting corrupt associates and in his second term leading the nation into a severe economic depression.

Ulysses S. Grant presidential administration scandals

An examination of the Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant reveals many scandals and fraudulent activities during the Gilded Age associated with his administration and a cabinet that was in continual transition divided by the forces of political corruption and reform. President Grant, ever trusting of associates, himself was influenced by both forces. The standards in many of Grant's appointments were low and charges of corruption were widespread. Starting with the Black Friday gold speculation ring in 1869, corruption would be discovered during Grant's two presidential terms in seven federal departments, including the Navy, Justice, War, Treasury, Interior, State, and the Post Office. Reform movements initiated in both the Democratic Party and the Liberal Republicans, a faction that split from Republican Party to oppose political patronage and corruption in the Grant Administration. Nepotism was prevalent, with over 40 family members or relatives benefiting from government appointments and employment. The prevalent corruption in the Grant Administration was eventually called Grantism. Certain historians believe that charges of corruption were exaggerated by reformers, since President Grant was the first President to initiate Civil Service reform and that several of Grant's Cabinet members made solid advances towards ending abuses that occurred in previous administrations.

Ulysses S. Grant (disambiguation)

Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) was the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877).

Ulysses Grant may also refer to:

Ulysses S. Grant (Wister biography)

Ulysses S.Grant is a 1900 book by Owen Wister. It is a biography of Ulysses S. Grant. It was written for the Beacon Biographies Series published by Small, Maynard & Company. Wister took on the book at the urging of his friend M. A. De Wolfe Howe.

In particular, Wister's biography focus upon the remarkable contrast between Grant's life up to his thirty ninth year and the transition between a relatively uneventful and undistinguished life in a provincial town to the achievement of the status of one of the most significant military generals and politicians in history. A similar contrast is then explored between the scandals that engulfed Grant's Presidency on the one hand and the rise and resurgence of his reputation on a posthumous basis. The focus is also upon the inadvertent nature of Grant's path and decision-making and the way in which his life was almost devoid of deliberateness, a key element in the relationship between Grant's personality on the one hand and his achievements in public life on the other.

Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant

The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant began during the turbulent Reconstruction period following the American Civil War. Grant was elected the 18th President of the United States in 1868 and was re-elected to the office in 1872, serving from March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1877. Grant was a Republican, and his main supporters were the Radical and Stalwart factions. The United States was at peace with the world throughout the era, and was prosperous until the Panic of 1873, a severe national depression, that dominated Grant's second term. Grant bolstered the Executive Branch's enforcement powers by signing into law the Department of Justice and Office of Solicitor General that was implemented to protect the civil rights of African Americans. Grant expanded federal authority that protected African American civil rights against domestic terrorism in the South. Grant's presidency represented the Civil War values that included "union, freedom and equality." Grant's Reconstruction policy, however, was challenged by the complexities of using the U.S. Army to impose democracy and legal equality regardless of the resistance of Democrats in the South. Grant worked hard to ensure the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment that gave black men the right to vote. Grant's notable efforts as President included civil rights, civil service reform, and Indian policy. Grant's foreign policy under Hamilton Fish was successful and improved Anglo-American relations.