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=Ulysses S. Grant=



Schuyler Colfax (1869-1873) Henry Wilson (1873-1875) //None (1875-1877)//
 * Political Party**: Republican
 * Terms:** 2 1869-1877
 * Vice-Presidents:**
 * Born**: April 27, 1822
 * Died**: July 23, 1885

Ulysses S. Grant was a moral and honorable man as president, however his cabinet was full of corruption and scandals. Grant tried to make positive changes for freed blacks and Native Americans. A difficult challenge for Grant was dealing with the reconstruction of the nation after the Civil War. Also Grant faced economical problems during the Panic of 1873. Grant later passed the Resumption Act to get out of the crisis. Even though president Grant was attempting to move the United States forward he did not accomplish his goals which is why Grant deserves a D as president
 * Thesis**

Ulysses S. Grant had many goals as president. Grant wanted to give the freed black slaves equal rights as every white citizen possessed. This was attempted while Grant was trying to reconstruct the South. Also, he wanted improved relations with Native Americans and for their rights to increase too. Another idea of Grant's and his cabinet was to have a base or stronghold in the Caribbean. This would have been benifical both for economy and for the new freed blacks citizens. Grant was going to use Santo Domingo as a place where freed black citizens could go live. Many of these goals were never accomplished, even though Grant moved them along he could not fully accomplish them.
 * Goals**

Even though almost all the congresses during Grant's presidency were majority republican, he did not have a very good relationship with congress. Many of the republican leaders in congress did not like that Grant did not ask their opinion on many of his decisions, thus he did not have their support. When Grant and his administration wanted to annex Santo Domingo, he asked for Charles Sumner, congressman, for his support and thought he had recieved it. But that was not the case, Sumner spoke out against Grant and the bill was never passed. Besides all the other troubles, Grant vetoed a large sum of the bills passed through congress.
 * Relationship with congress**

The most positive outcome of Grant's administration was the Resumption Act in 1874. This act took back the greenbacks, issued during the Civil War and replaced them with silver coins. Even though many western citizens were upset by this, it ultimately stopped the panic of 1873. As a result, the United States would be on the Gold Standard and backed by hard-currency. Also, the hard-currency would be used from that point and throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. This was a major step because earlier in Grant's presidency he vetoed the Inflation bill which would have supported the greenbacks.
 * Positive and negative outcomes**

President Grant's most negative outcome was his choices for his cabinet. Grant chose his cabinet from whom he trusted and had his loyalty from previous endeavors. Some of his selections were good such as Hamilton Fish, but the others were not so great. Grant's cabinet is most notable today by its corruption and scandals. In 1872, the Credit Mobilier scandal came to surface. Railroad companies were overcharging millions of dollars on government contracts and the companies bribed government officals to prevent an investigation. In the end, Grant had to take his vice-president off the 1872 election for his roll in the scandal. Another scandal involved Grant's personal secretary, Orville Babcock. The scandal was the Wiskey Ring, where tax revenues from whiskey distillers and distrubutors were diverted away from the tax collectors. From investigations, three million dollars were recovered. Even though Grant was not directly involved in these scandals, they still are remembered as the most negative part of his presidency.

One major impact left by Ulysses S. Grant was for future presidents to carefully choose their cabinet members. It showed that the president could suffer from problems even if he were not directly involved. Future cabinet members should be looked upon for their high stadards and good morals. Also, Grant's dedication to improving the rights of both freed blacks and Native Americans is now respected by many highly ranked officials.
 * Impact on future presidents**

President Grant had many positive goals in which he tried diligently to accomplish. But he never fully accomplished them, and only pushed them along. Grant was over shadowed by the scandals in his cabinet and was looked upon as a terrible president. Also, his relationship with congress was poor; thus they did not support each other. From these facts, Ulysses S. Grant deserves a D as president.
 * Conclusion**

"American President: Ulysses Simpson Grant." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Web. 09 Apr. 2010. [].
 * Bibliography**

"President Grant Biography - Grant and Congress." //ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More.// Web. 08 Apr. 2010. []. "Whiskey Ring." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 08 Apr. 2010. .