There has been much debate over the legacy of President Grant over the years, with some naming him among the worst, while others finding things to admire.

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) lived most of his life outside of the political spotlight. In fact, for the first 46 years of his life, Grant never publically admitted to holding any political affiliation whatsoever.

When he was elected President as a Republican in 1868, however, Grant was forced to jump headfirst into leading a nation that was still dramatically divided along political lines, still scarred and hurting from the damage inflicted by the Civil War, in which Grant had played a crucial role.

A Young Soldier

Born in a log cabin in Point Pleasant, Ohio, Hiram Ulysses Grant lived a modest childhood until his father, knowing a good deal when he saw one, applied on his son's behalf to the U.S. Military Acadamy at West Point, New York.

When Grant was accepted, his congressman, Thomas Hamer, officially nominated the seventeen year old boy, though incorrectly giving his name as Ulysses S. Grant. As the academy would not allow Grant to enter the school under any but his nominated name, he accepted the fact, and was known as Ulysses for the remainder of his life.

Grant graduated from West Point 21st out of 39th in his class, and three years later, was called to service in the Mexican-American war under future President Zachary Taylor, where he served with distinction in several battles, earning distinction for his bravery.

After the war (which Grant later admitted to opposing for political reasons) Grant, a Lieutenant, served in several other military capacities before being forced to resign by his Colonal, Robert Buchanan, the popular story being that Buchanan found Grant drunk while on duty.

While this story may or may not be true, it is not entirely out of the question, as Grant was known to be a hard drinker, and prone to depression due to difficult financial times, which only got worse after resigning from the army.

The Civil War

Ironically, the onset of the Civil War in 1860 was one of the most positive things that could have happened to Ulysses S. Grant's failing finances and difficult life.

Volunteering to train volunteers for the army, Grant was let back into the military as Colonel of an undisciplined unit from Illinois.

From here, Grant rose quickly in the military, thanks to acts of bravery and strong service in such important battles as Shiloh and Chattanooga, as well as the Vicksburg campaign. His successes earned him a positive status in the eyes of President Lincoln, who named him Lieutenant General of the army, the first such appointment since George Washington.

Grant put William Sherman in command of the campaign which would march on the Confederacy while Grant himself left to take over the Army of the Potomac, where several commanders had already tried and failed as a result of a refusal to go on the attack against General Robert E. Lee's confederate army.

Under General Grant, the Union finally achieved victory, ending with Lee's surrender at Appotomax Courthouse in Virginia on April 9th, 1865, only days before President Lincoln's assassination and Andrew Johnson's rise to the Presidency.

Politics

Now that Ulysses S. Grant was a national hero, he was no longer capable of remaining politically neutral.

Prior to this point, however, Grant truly did appear to be a true independent. He at various times supported Democrats such as James Buchanan and Stephen Douglas, though he threw his support in with Lincoln in 1864.

Under President Johnson, Grant remained the General of the Army, working with Johnson to enact his rather moderate policies of reconstruction in the south.

By the end of Johnson's embittered time in office, Grant remained as popular as ever, and was an obvious choice as a Presidential candidate in the Republican party - the first time he had officially announced a party affiliation.

The election of 1868 was a sweeping victory for the popular general, beating his opponent, Horatio Seymore, 214 electoral votes to 80.

Presidency

As President, Grant was much more radical in his policies regarding southern reconstruction than his predecessor.

He favored control of the southern states by local militias rather than the national army, and supported civil rights for freed southern blacks (taking some very extreme views for his day). In addition, Grant strongly opposed organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, and kept limited troops in the south in order to suppress these racist groups.

Grant's Failures

Grant has not been viewed in an historically positive light, thanks to his seeming acceptance of corruption within the national government, including within his own administration. While Grant was not personally involved in benefiting from such corruption, he did nothing to stop it, either.

In addition, the financial panic of 1873, during Grant's second term (after another landslide election, 286 electoral votes to 63 for all four of his opponents combined), was handled rather poorly, with the President doing very little to halt the financial crisis or ensuing depression.

Despite a popularity throughout much of his two terms in office (the first President to serve two full terms since Andrew Jackson), Grant's scandals failed to earn him a third term, and he retired to private life and his own financial ruin (proving that he played no role in the money-making scandals of his administration).

Grant remained relatively impoverished for the rest of his life, which lasted for nine years after he left office. In his financial ruin, Grant accepted an offer from Mark Twain to write his memoirs, which would provide him money to support his family. He finished the book only days before his death in July of 1885.

Some consider it one of the greatest military memoirs ever written.

Today, Grant is being recognized as having been a somewhat effective President, though a poor judge of character. As time continues to pass, it is unsure whether he will be viewed as a decent or as a terrible President.

References:

"Ulysses S. Grant." American Presidents: An Online Reference Resource.

"Biography of Ulysses S. Grant." The White House.

"Ulysses S. Grant." Virtualology.