vcczar Posted November 5 Share Posted November 5 US Grant started out as a Democrat. He actually owned one enslaved person in his life at one point, but let him go free. I forgot if he inherited him or not or for how long he enslaved him. Grant has the biggest rags to riches story in presidential history. In the 1860 US census, he's a clerk in a leather goods store making below the average income at his time; in the 1870 US census, he's president of the United States of America. His actions: Grant, Ulysses S 1862 Promoted to Maj Gen of volunteers after victory at Ft Donelson Grant, Ulysses S 1862 Leads Unions victory at Shiloh Grant, Ulysses S 1863 Decisive victory at Vicksburg; promoted to Maj Gen in Reg Army Grant, Ulysses S 1864 Received some protest votes at Rep/Nat Un convention Grant, Ulysses S 1864 Made General in Chief of US Army w/ promotion to Lt Gen Grant, Ulysses S 1865 Compels surrender of Lee's Army at Appomattox Grant, Ulysses S 1865 Target of assassination plot but does not join Lincoln at Ford's Theatre Grant, Ulysses S 1866 Promoted to new rank of General of the Army Grant, Ulysses S 1866 Johnson consults him when appointing commanders for recons districts Grant, Ulysses S 1866 Joins Johnson for Swing Around the Circle campaign; leaves early because disagrees with Johnson Grant, Ulysses S 1867 Replaced Stanton as acting Sec of War, but is removed when Congress reinstates Stanton Grant, Ulysses S 1867 Angry public letters between Grant and Johnson published, which help Grant's candidacy for pres Grant, Ulysses S 1868 Wins 1868 election as Pres Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Appts WT Sherman to succeed him as Senior General of the US Army Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Appts Alexander T Stewart to Sec of Treasury, after Joseph Seligman declines, but he's constitutionally ineligible for the office Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Appts fmr CSA General James Longstreet to government job in New Orleans, amazing some Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Estab. Mil rule in GA and restores black legislature expelled by GA Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Opts to pick his cabinet independent of Congressional advice Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Signs a bill to protect workers wages from 8 hr work week Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Proposes annexing Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Signs Judiciary Act, fixing SC to nine justices Grant, Ulysses S 1869 Fails to use influence to build coalition to pass Santo Domingo annexation treaty Grant, Ulysses S 1869 His admin is hit with Black Friday scandal Grant, Ulysses S 1870 Appts 1st Jewish Gov, Edward Salomon, as Terr Gov of WA Grant, Ulysses S 1870 Creates Dept of Justice Grant, Ulysses S 1870 Signs Naturalization Act, allowing African-descent people to become citizens Grant, Ulysses S 1870 Signs the first of the Enforcement Acts (KKK Acts) designed to protect AA in the South Grant, Ulysses S 1870 Unsuccessful in 2nd attempt to get Congress to support Santo Domingo annexation Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Submits report to Congress calling for a bill to combat violence in the South by KKK Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Orders Fed troops to crush the KKK in SC when Gov. Scott doesn't act Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Fails in attempt to force open trade with Korea Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Decries Mormon polygamy, and the ineffective laws to prevent it Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Signs bill making Native Americans wards of the state (no longer treated like sov. nations) Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Signs bill for Hayden Expedition to the West Grant, Ulysses S 1871 Signs treaty settling Alabama claims Grant, Ulysses S 1872 Wins reelection in a landslide Grant, Ulysses S 1872 Uses influence to rid Sumner from Foreign Rel Com Grant, Ulysses S 1872 Creates Yellowstone National Park Grant, Ulysses S 1872 Signs Amnesty Act which allows most former Confederates to hold public office Grant, Ulysses S 1872 Admin hit with Whiskey Ring scandals Grant, Ulysses S 1873 Presides during Panic of 1873 Grant, Ulysses S 1873 Makes token efforts to respond to Panic of 1873, which lasts to about 1877 Grant, Ulysses S 1873 Intervenes w/ Troops for LA election revolt; White Sup react w/ Colfax Massacre of blacks Grant, Ulysses S 1873 Signs Comstock Act to censure immoral material sent via postal service Grant, Ulysses S 1873 Signs Coinage Act of 1873, one of the primary causes of the Panic of 1873 Grant, Ulysses S 1874 Intervenes in Arkansas Gov election. Secures peace but hurts his own party in the state. Grant, Ulysses S 1874 Vetoes Inflation Bill designed to combat Panic of 1873 Grant, Ulysses S 1875 Admin hit with Belknap kickback scandal Grant, Ulysses S 1875 Calls for stronger anti-polygamy law Grant, Ulysses S 1875 Calls for Federal funds for only secular public education nationwide Grant, Ulysses S 1875 Signs Civil Rights Act of 1875, a bill begun by the late Sumner in 1870 Grant, Ulysses S 1875 Signs Specie Resumption Act Grant, Ulysses S 1875 Compelled to decline a 3rd term, despite a desire to stay in office Grant, Ulysses S 1876 Sends troops to SC to quell violent election riots Grant, Ulysses S 1876 Presides during Great Sioux War that sees Custer's Last Stand Grant, Ulysses S 1876 Presides as white Southerner, called Redeemers, retook control of Southern govn'ts Grant, Ulysses S 1880 Fails in bid for non-consec 3rd term; original frontrunner Grant, Ulysses S 1881 Advises Arthur on cabinet picks Grant, Ulysses S 1885 Finishes his celebrated memoirs days before his death Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeP47 Posted November 5 Share Posted November 5 He's a mixed bag really, but I think he was at least giving it an honest try (pun mildly intended with all the corruption going on in his administration) which keeps him favorable as a politician. Also not only is my town where the Lincoln farm is, it was Grant's first command (for like, a few weeks, before being sent to Cairo), so we have a few Grant things as well, though the hotel (such as it was) bearing his name burned down a few years ago. Given the state of the hotel, it was no big loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted November 5 Author Share Posted November 5 3 hours ago, OrangeP47 said: He's a mixed bag really, but I think he was at least giving it an honest try (pun mildly intended with all the corruption going on in his administration) which keeps him favorable as a politician. Also not only is my town where the Lincoln farm is, it was Grant's first command (for like, a few weeks, before being sent to Cairo), so we have a few Grant things as well, though the hotel (such as it was) bearing his name burned down a few years ago. Given the state of the hotel, it was no big loss. Grant was such a bad administrative president, but he was a good executive president. The former is due to a lack of political experience, while the latter is somewhat helped by being a decisive general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeP47 Posted November 5 Share Posted November 5 9 minutes ago, vcczar said: Grant was such a bad administrative president, but he was a good executive president. The former is due to a lack of political experience, while the latter is somewhat helped by being a decisive general. TBH it sounds like maybe too, at least at first, he was just a bit naive. When people told him something was above board, he'd just believe it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10centjimmy Posted November 6 Share Posted November 6 19 hours ago, OrangeP47 said: TBH it sounds like maybe too, at least at first, he was just a bit naive. When people told him something was above board, he'd just believe it. Definitely see this in his pre war business failures in the west. Too often he was trying to strike it rich with "can't miss" schemes where he would give money to an interlocutor who either lost it all or ran off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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