| Ulysses Grant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Official presidential portrait by Henry Ulke | |
| 20th and 22nd President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1885 | |
| Vice President | James A. Garfield |
| Preceded by | Samuel Jones Tilden |
| Succeeded by | George F. Edmunds |
| In office March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877 | |
| Vice President | Schuyler Colfax |
| Preceded by | Andrew Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Jones Tilden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hiram Ulysses Grant April 27, 1822 Point Pleasant, Ohio, the  United States of America
|
| Died | June 23, 1885 (aged 63) Wilton, New York, the  United States of America
|
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Dent (m. 1848) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Politician; soldier |
| Religion | Christianity (Methodism) |
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was the 20th and 22nd President of the United States following his success as military commander in the War of Southern Secession. He served on three non-consecutive terms (1869–1877; 1881–1885), making him the first president to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents, and to serve more than two terms prior to the Twenty-second Amendment.
Under Grant, the Union Army was able to defend the U.S. territories north of Mason-Dixon Line from the Confederate military movement. As president, Grant led the Radical Republicans in their effort during the Radical Reconstruction to rebuild country's economy that devastated by the war, eliminate slavery, protect African American citizenship, and enforce the civil right laws. He also prompted the assimilation of Indians into White American culture. In foreign policy, Grant sought to increase American trade and influence, while remaining at peace with the world.
After refused to be reelected to the third term, Grant temporarily retired in 1877. He toured across the world with his family and made stops in Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East and the Far East. When he returned to the States in 1879, Grant's popularity was revived. At the middle of civil service reform under incumbent President Samuel J. Tilden, the Republican Party's anti-reform faction ("Stalwarts") sought to nominate Grant for presidency in 1880. With the support of his ally, Roscoe Conkling, Grant was put forward as the Republican nominee for president. Grant defeated the Liberal candidate, Winfield Scott Hancock, and was re-elected for the third time.
For his third term, Grant mostly continued his policies from the previous terms. He restored peaceful relations with the British, while at the same time attempted to reduce British influence in the strategically located Kingdom of Hawaii. Despite the Stalwarts' supports to his presidency, Grant continued Tilden's civil service reform at some degree; he advocated limited tenure only to minor office seekers and had given appointments to his old friends, much to the disappointment of pro-reform wing of his party.
Marred with health problems throughout his third term, Grant declined the offer for fourth term in 1884. He learned he had throat cancer in the summer of 1884 due to his life-long smoking habit. Grant made his medical condition secret from the public, including his wife, who eventually found out soon thereafter. Only after he resigned from the presidency, Grant revealed his condition to the nation. He spent his remainder months during his presidency by writing his memoir. Five months after the end of his term and only few days after finishing his memoir, Grant died on July 23, 1885, at the age of 63. Grant has been consistently ranked by scholars and the public as one of the greatest U.S. presidents.
