Ulysses S. Grant
Eighteenth President
1869-1877
General
Ulysses S. Grant's victories in the Civil War
made him a national hero. His fame propelled
him into the White House.
Although
Grant did not like politics and did not wish
to hold any office, the death of Abraham Lincoln
changed his plans. The new President, Andrew
Johnson, did not appear to have the same forgiving
leanings toward the South as Lincoln. Grant
argued with President Johnson and challenged
his views on the best way to reunite the country.
He aligned himself with the Conservative Republicans,
who also supported Lincoln's views on reunification.
It soon became clear that as a symbol of the
Union victory in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant
was the Republican Party's candidate for President
in 1868.
Grant's
skills as a general and his ability to engage
the enemy in combat contributed greatly to the
country. Without Grant in the Civil War, the
United States would have been a different country-or
maybe not a country at all. Many historians
agree that Grant's contributions as President
and as a Union general were not appreciated.
To
find out more about the life and Presidency
of U.S. Grant, go to these sections:
Life
Before the Presidency
The Hero of the Civil
War
Presidential Accomplishments
Grant: A Misunderstood
Leader
A Loving Family Man
Life After the Presidency
Did You Know?
Sources
Used
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