Ulysses S. Grant

Hello, my name is Ulysses S. Grant. I was born in a small town in Ohio on April 27th, 1822. You might be surprised to learn that my real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. When I was accepted into the famous United States Military Academy at West Point in 1839, someone made a mistake on my application. They wrote my name down as Ulysses S. Grant, and it just stuck. From a young age, I had a special connection with horses. I loved being around them, and I learned to ride and care for them better than almost anyone else. At West Point, my skill with horses became well known, and I was soon considered the best horseman at the entire academy. It was a skill that would serve me well throughout my life.

After I graduated from West Point in 1843, I officially became a soldier in the United States Army. My duties soon took me to the Mexican-American War, where I served from 1846 to 1848. It was a challenging time, but it taught me a great deal about being a leader. Around this time, something wonderful happened in my life. I met a kind and wonderful woman named Julia Dent, and we fell in love. We were married on August 22nd, 1848. As our family began to grow, I decided to leave the army for a while. I wanted to be a husband and a father, and for a few years, I focused on building a life with my family.

My quiet life changed in 1861 when the American Civil War began. Our country was torn apart, with the Union in the North fighting against the Confederacy in the South. I knew I had a duty to help keep the United States together, so I rejoined the army to fight for the Union. I was soon promoted to the rank of general and found myself leading soldiers in very important battles. One of our biggest successes was the victory at Vicksburg in 1863, which helped the Union gain control of the Mississippi River. President Abraham Lincoln saw that I was a determined leader. In March of 1864, he trusted me with a huge responsibility: he made me the commander of all the Union armies. It was my job to lead us to victory.

The long and difficult war finally came to an end on April 9th, 1865. With the fighting over, my new goal was to help heal our divided nation and bring everyone back together. The American people must have believed I could do it, because in 1868, they elected me as the 18th President of the United States. I served two terms, from 1869 all the way to 1877. During my time as president, I worked hard to make sure the rights of all citizens were protected. This was especially important for the millions of African Americans who had just been freed from slavery. I helped pass the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which was a very important law that gave African American men the right to vote for the first time.

After my time as president ended, I focused on my family. I wrote the story of my life in a book to make sure my family would be cared for after I was gone. I lived to be 63 years old. Today, when people think of me, they remember the general who helped win the Civil War and keep our country whole. They also remember the president who worked to bring peace and justice to a nation that was learning to live together in a new way.