Essay About Ulysses S. Grant And American General

Ulysses S. Grant
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Ulysses S. Grant lived an interesting life. He gave so much to this country. His life was
exciting and he lived in many different places, from small houses to a house given by people to
the white house. From saving the blacks from more slavery to giving the U.S. bad years from
presidency.
Ulysses S. Grant was an American general and the 18th president of the U.S.
(Williams 53).Grant was born in point pleasant, Ohio, on April 27 ,1822, the son os Hannah
Simpson and Jesse Grant, the owner of a tannery (Williams 52). In 1839, under the name of
Ulysses Simpson, instead of his original Hiram Ulysses, he was appointed to West Point
(“Ulysses”Online). Graduating 21st in a class of 39,loosing to Robert E. Lee, who came 1st
(“Ulysses”Online). There he met Julia Dent, whom he married after the Mexican war
(“Grant”314).
During the Mexican war, Grant served under both General Zachary Taylor and
General Winfield Scott and distinguished himself (“Ulysses”Online). In 1854, while stationed at
Fort Humboldt, California, Grant resigned his commission because of loneliness and drinking
problems, and in the following years he engaged in generally unsuccessful farming and business
ventures in Missouri(Williams 19- 59). He moved to Galena, Illinois, in 1860, where he became
a clerk in his fathers leather store (Williams 21).
In the Civil War, after an indecisive battle raid on Belmont, Missouri, he gained fame
when in February 1862, in conjunction with the navy; he succeeded in reducing Forts Henry and
Donelson, Tennessee, forcing General Simon B. Buckner to accept unconditional surrender and
earned him the nickname Unconditional Surrender Grant (Williams 52). In 1863 he established
his reputation as a strategist in the brilliant campaign against Vicksburg, Mississippi, which took
place on July 4 (“Ulysses”Online). After being appointed commander in the west, he defeated
Braxton Bragg at Chattanooga (“Ulysses”Online). Grants victories made him so prominent that
he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and in February 1864 was given command of
all Union armies(“Ulysses”Online).
Grant accompanied the army of the Potomac in its overland assault on Richmond,
Virginia.Grant continues to press the drive against General Robert E. Lees army
(“Ulysses”Online). After Shermans success in Georgia and the conquest of Shenandoah Valley
by General Philip H. Sheridan, Grant forced Lee to abandon Petersburg and Richmond and to
surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9 (“Ulysses”Online).
As the countrys best known military leader, he became the Republican candidate for
president in 1868 and defeated his democratic rival, Horatio Seymour (Williams 53). Grants
military experience ill prepared him for his new duties, he faced major problems with
Reconstruction, civil service reform, and economic adjustment, he did not know how to choose
proper advisors or to avoid the pitfalls of an age of corruption (Williams 57). Irregularly trying to
protect the tights of the freed slaves, he repeatedly intervened but could no prevent the
reappearance of white supremacists in all but a few southern states (“Ulysses”Online).
Other problems were equally troublesome, in 1871 Grant appointed a civil service
commission headed by George W. Curtis, but because of the presidents increased trust in corrupt
republican machines, he was ill fitted to end the system of whereby federal jobs were distributed
as rewards for political loyalty (“Ulysses”Online). More over his inexperience in economic
matters and his unreasonable respect for wealth rendered him easy prey to scheming