Ulysses Simpson Grant

(1822 - 1885 )

Who was Ulysses Grant ?

    Ulysses S. Grant was born in Ohio, and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. During the Civil War, Grant was an officer for the Union Army, rising quickly through the ranks. President Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief in 1864. In 1865, Lee of the Confederacy surrendered to Grant.

    Grant came into his Presidency a war hero. As the President, Grant seemed to lack the clear direction he had sought in the Civil War. It was during his administration, however, that the 15th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act were passed, their purpose to guarantee civil rights regardless of race.