Nickname Unconditional Surrender Grant example essay topic

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 father's 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). Grant's 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. Lee's army ("Ulysses " Online). After Sherman's 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 country's 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 president's 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 adventures, In 1869 Jay Gould and James Fisk took him in, in their attempt to corner the gold market, which he stopped only at the last moment ("Ulysses " Online). In 1872 rebel reformers, breaking with t 2 he administration by organizing the Liberal Republican Party, nominated Horace Greeley, who also received the democrats support, to challenge Grant for reelection, although the president won easily, his second administration was tainted by many scandals, including the Credit Mobile affair, in which Vice-President Schuyler Colfax and others were accused of taking bribes; the Whiskey Ring, in which Grant's Secretary schemed with a group of distillers to cheat the government of taxes; and the impeachment of Secretary of War William W. Belknap ("Ulysses " Online). All contributed to the failure of the administration, in addition, the Panic of 1873 resulted in widespread unemployment and the loss of the House of Representatives to the democrats ("Ulysses " Online).

Only in foreign affairs did Grant have some success ("Ulysses " Online). He suffered an initial setback in the Senate, which refused to sanction his uncertain scheme to purchase Santo Domingo ("Ulysses " Online). Thereafter, however, Secretary of State Hamilton Fish established a distinguished record by settling outstanding difficulties with Great Britain with the Treaty of Washington in 1871, and keeping the country clear of Cuban rebellion against Spain ("Ulysses " Online). After retiring from the presidency, Grant took a long trip around the world.

Returning in 1879, he became an unsuccessful candidate for the presidential nomination, which went to James A. Garfield (Williams 58). In 1881 Grant moved to New York City, Where he became a partner in the Wall Street firm of Grant and Ward; he was so close to ruin when the company collapsed in 1884 ("Ulysses " Online). To provide for his family, he wrote his memoirs while fighting cancer of the throat; he died at Mount Gregor, New York, on July 23, 1885 (Williams 52-59). He gave so much to this country and we never had a chance to thank him, not by giving stuff to him like the memorial but to say it up close and shaking hands with him. He was a great 3 General by giving the slaves freedom and fighting for them, if he hadn't fought for us think about where we would be right know. From the best General of the U.S. Army to 1 of the worst Presidents he still did good for this country.