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President: Ulysses S. Grant
 * //-Dominic Tranchitella-//**

Political Party: Republican

Date of terms: March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877

Vice President: Schuyler Colfax (1st term) & Henry Wilson (2nd term)

Overall Rating: B Theme: The year of 1869 marked not only the beginning of Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency; it was the very same year that the First Transcontinental Railroad was finished. This major step forward was a huge contributor to the American Identity. The First Transcontinental Railroad connected the eastern to the western United States. This railroad also marked the end of decades of hard work and vigorous dedication. It shaped the American Identity by showing how industrialized and technologically advanced America had become. During the same year, the Knights of Labor was organized. The Knights of Labor was a very influential organization that pushed for the identity of the American worker. They pushed for an eight hour work week, and the end of child and convict labor.

Thesis: Grant was a very successful general during the Civil War. His victories helped the Union’s cause, and contributed to the Union’s victory. Incidentally, it was then assumed that a good general would make a good president; Grant’s presidency seemed to point against this. Even though the scandals that were attributed to Grant tainted his image, he was able to pass important and life changing legislation such as the fifteenth amendment, the Ku Klux Klan Act, and the Civil Rights act of 1875. Though his influence and impact during the Reconstruction period, Grant and his administration earn a grade of a ‘B’.

Goals: In Grant’s Inauguration Address, he mentions the goals he hoped to accomplish. His goals include a further step towards equality, suffrage, civil rights, trade, and infrastructure. Grant was able to accomplish all of his goals. The fifteenth amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1871, and the First Transcontinental Railroad were all things that accomplished Grant’s goals. The fifteenth amendment granted greater equality and suffrage to blacks, the Civil Rights Act of 1871 protected blacks from the civil abuse of the KKK, and the First Transcontinental Railroad allowed more trade and provided infrastructure.

Relationship with Congress: The four sessions of Congress that were in session during Grant’s presidency were the 41st through the 44th. The republicans held the majority in the Senate and the House for the first three sessions. It wasn’t until the 44th session of U.S. Congress that the Democrats took control of the House, but the Republicans still controlled the Senate. Since Grant was also a republican, it was easier for the Congress to pass legislation. This is apparent when looking at all of the major legislation that were passed, such as the Force Act of 1870, the Currency Act of 1870, the Civil Rights Act of 1871, and so on. The only vetoed legislation was the Practice Conformity Act, but even that was reworked into the Rules Enabling Act.

Positive Action: Grant was a president that was able to get things done, which can be attributed to the Republican control of the Legislative branch throughout the majority of his presidency. Some of Grant’s most positive actions came from his improvements to civil and human rights. The three best examples of these are the fifteenth amendment, the Ku Klux Klan Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875. Both of these improvements came about due to the Reconstruction period. The fifteenth amendment was the third Reconstruction amendment passed, and it prohibited the government from denying suffrage to a citizen due to their skin color, race, or ethnicity. Another improvement came in the form of the Ku Klux Klan Act. This was passed due to the deaths of blacks by the hand of the KKK. The final major improvement came in 1875 in the form of another Civil Rights Act. This act declared that skin color, race, or ethnicity would not affect the treatment of a person in public accommodations, such as inns or hotels. All of these improvements helped in gaining equality for blacks and other minorities.

Negative Action: The most negative actions attributed to Grant’s presidency were all of his scandals. One of Grant’s problems was his inability to get his workers to have accountability. Grant would protect his insubordinate workers, and he was also involved with some money scandals. The most well know of the scandals were the Black Friday and the Whiskey Ring scandals. The Black Friday scandal was when two speculators caused a financial panic by cornering the gold market. The Whiskey Ring scandal was when Republican politicians took off millions of dollars from whiskey tax. Both of these scandals put a huge dent in Grant’s presidency not because he was one of the crooked people, but because of his stupidity in handling the affairs.

Influence: Grant was one of the presidents that have had a lasting impact on the generations that followed after him. The most lasting impact that Grant had was the passing of the legislation such as the fifteenth amendment, the Ku Klux Klan Act, and the Civil Rights act of 1875. All of these were vital in giving blacks equality after the Civil War.

Conclusion: As the president, Grant put the country in a better shape than the condition he got it in. His contributions to civil and human rights outweigh his incapacity in relation to money matters. All in all, Grant left a lasting impression on the United States, which is why Grant and his administration gets a grade of a ‘B’.

Works Cited  The American pageant: a history of the Republic. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. 426-430. Print.  "Ulysses S. Grant." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <[]>.  "41st United States Congress." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. <[]>.  "42nd United States Congress." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. <[]>.  "43rd United States Congress." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. <[]>.  "44th United States Congress." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. <[]>.