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Hiram Ulysses Grant** (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) Schuyler Colfax (1869–1873) Henry Wilson (1873–1875) No Vice President 1875-1877
 * Republican**
 * In Office:** March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877
 * Vice Presidents:**

Overall, Ulysses S. Grant was an average president at best, even though important legislature was passed during his time in office and he held his motto stead fast - “keep the peace”. However, his presidency was marred by several instances of corruption and scandal, raising the question of whether or not Grant turned a blind eye towards said cases and was dishonest himself. He did not have total control of the country while in office and deserves a C.

As a leader in the later stages of Reconstruction, President Grant’s most pressing goal was to maintain domestic peace between the North and the South as well as the whites and the blacks. To accomplish this objective there was a variety of legislature passed, including the Civil Rights Act in 1875. Grant also passed the Fifteenth Amendment, ensuring the equal voting rights for all people.

Grant had a good relationship with Congress and together they passed the Civil Rights Act and the Fifteenth Amendment which would benefit the blacks and ultimately shape the evolution into equality. For the most part the majority of Congress was republican, until the last few years when the House switched to democrat. President Grant was striving for a better life for African Americans and women, and took major leaps with some of the legislature that was passed during his presidency.

By far the most positive thing that came out of President Grant and his administration was the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment. This law was a vital stride for a more equal nation. The most negative thing to come out of Grant’s presidency was the constant influence of corruption that plagued a lot his time in office. The myriad of get-rich-quick schemes that boomed during this period of time was immense, the first and probably biggest being Black Friday. Two men, James Fisk and Jay Gould attempted to force the price of gold up by acquiring a large amount of the precious metal. They even went so far as to try to include President Grant in their plan.

The most important decision that was made during Grant’s presidency that affected future generations was the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment. This was a huge piece of progress in the fight for social equality, and we can still feel the effects of it today. The passing of the bill eventually led to the Civil Rights Movement, a monumental time of reform that shaped our country into what it is today.

The country was better off after President Grant had stepped down from office, largely impart to the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment. Despite the vast corruption that was running rampant at the time, Grant tried to tighten the reins and somewhat succeeded. Thus, Ulysses S. Grant earns a C, because although he did accomplish some things that would help the country, there were major problems within the government and the people that were let uncontrolled.

Works Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/grant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/UlyssesSGrant/