Ulysses S. Grant

Hello there. My name is Ulysses S. Grant, but that’s not the name I was born with. I was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27th, 1822, in a small town called Point Pleasant, Ohio. Growing up, I wasn't a big fan of my family's tannery business—it was smelly work. What I really loved was horses. I could ride almost before I could walk, and I was known all around for my skill with them. When I was 17, my father arranged for me to go to the United States Military Academy at West Point. There was a mix-up with my name when I enrolled in 1839; they listed me as 'Ulysses S. Grant.' I tried to correct it, but the name stuck. My friends started calling me 'Sam' because of the 'U.S.' initials, thinking it stood for Uncle Sam. I wasn't the top student, but I excelled at horsemanship and graduated ready to serve my country as an army officer.

After graduating from West Point in 1843, my first major assignment was during the Mexican-American War, which lasted from 1846 to 1848. I served as a quartermaster, making sure the soldiers had the supplies they needed, but I also saw combat and learned a great deal about military strategy by observing my commanders. It was a difficult war, but it prepared me for what was to come. During this time, something wonderful happened. I had met a wonderful woman named Julia Dent before the war, and we wrote to each other the whole time I was away. When I returned, we were married on August 22nd, 1848. After the war, I found life in the army difficult, often being posted to forts far away from my family. I missed Julia and our children terribly, so in 1854, I resigned from the army. The next few years were tough, as I tried my hand at farming and business with little success.

When the American Civil War began in 1861, I knew I had to rejoin the army to help preserve the United States. I started as a colonel of a volunteer regiment, but my experience quickly showed. I believed the only way to win the war was to be persistent and attack the enemy. My first major victory came in February 1862, when I captured Fort Donelson in Tennessee. It was there I earned the nickname 'Unconditional Surrender' Grant. The war was long and brutal, with terrible battles like Shiloh. One of my most important campaigns was the Siege of Vicksburg. By capturing the city on July 4th, 1863, my army gave the Union control of the entire Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two. President Abraham Lincoln noticed my determination. In March of 1864, he promoted me to Lieutenant General and put me in command of all the Union armies. My job was to defeat the main Confederate army, led by General Robert E. Lee. For over a year, we fought in a series of grueling battles. Finally, on April 9th, 1865, General Lee surrendered to me at a small house in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. I offered generous terms to his soldiers, hoping to begin healing our divided nation.

After the Civil War, the people of the United States saw me as a hero. In 1868, I was elected the 18th President, taking office on March 4th, 1869. My presidency was during a period called Reconstruction, a time when the country was trying to rebuild and bring the southern states back into the Union. My biggest goal was to protect the rights of the nearly four million African Americans who had been freed from slavery. I worked hard to pass the 15th Amendment to the Constitution in 1870, which guaranteed that no citizen could be denied the right to vote because of their race. I also created the Department of Justice to fight against groups like the Ku Klux Klan, who were using violence to terrorize Black citizens. It was a very challenging time. The country was still deeply divided, and some people in my government were not as honest as they should have been. But I did my best to promote peace, fairness, and unity for all Americans. I was re-elected and served two full terms, leaving office in 1877.

After leaving the presidency, my wife Julia and I took a trip around the world. It was an incredible experience to meet so many different people and leaders. Later in my life, a bad business deal left my family with very little money. At the same time, I learned I was very sick with cancer. To make sure my family would be taken care of after I was gone, I decided to write my life story. I worked tirelessly on my memoirs, detailing my experiences in the wars and my time as president. I finished the book just days before my journey on this earth came to an end on July 23rd, 1885. I lived to be 63 years old. My book became a bestseller and is still read today. People remember me as the general who led the Union to victory and saved our nation from breaking apart, and as a president who fought for the rights and dignity of all American citizens.