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  Ulysses Grant deserves a C for his presidency. To much disappointment he was a much better general than a President. His presidency was scared with corrupt politics and the growth of monopolization in many industries along with the country falling into a financial panic. However, he did manage to keep the nation united and he was not at the head of corruption (the people he appointed were) which is why he deserves a C.
 * Ulysses S. Grant **
 * Born: ** April 27, 1822
 * Died:** July 23, 1885
 * Party:** Republican
 * Terms:** 1869-1873, 1873-1877
 * Vice President:** Schuyler Colfax (1869-1873), Henry Wilson (1873-1875)

Grant’s main goals were to continue Lincoln’s ideals of reconciliation with the South, guarantee the rights of the freed Blacks, protect the rights of the Natives, and overall to keep the Union functioning smoothly. He was not very successful in any of these. He granted Blacks the right to vote but racism ran wild all over the nation. He moved many Native Americans to reservation camps but these turned out to harm the Natives more than help them. He failed in keeping the nation running smoothly as the nation fell into a financial panic as a result of over speculation in industries such as railroad companies.

Grant had a majority in the senate for both of his terms and he had a majority in the House of Representatives for all but his last two years. He worked fairly well with congress. During his presidency the 15th amendment was passed which guaranteed the right to vote for all citizens (not including women). Following this congress passed the Enforcement acts in order to protect this right. However, there was much corruption in congress. Many big business owners worked directly with congressmen in order to get laws passed or in some cases not pay taxes. During the depression that started in 1873 Grant vetoed a bill that would put more paper money into the economy and cause inflation. He then signed Specie Resumption Act which made the government put its money in gold and withdraw much paper money from circulation. This caused deflation which was bad for debtors.

There were not many positive outcomes of Grant’s presidency. The best thing to happen was the 15th amendment and the Enforcement acts. Together they gave Blacks the right to vote and helped to protect them against racism and attacks from groups such as the KKK. Grant also used martial law in some areas of South Carolina to keep white southerners in line when they continually threatened and terrorized Blacks. The negatives largely over shadow the positives though. In 1873 the nation went into a depression due to over speculation in industries and railroads. Sadly, this was mainly due to corruption in congress and Grant’s cabinet. The biggest scandals were the Credit Mobilier, the Whisky Ring, and Black Friday. The Credit Mobilier was when railroad companies began selling their stock for more than they were worth and dealing with congressmen. In the Whiskey Ring distillers were brining government officials to get out of having to pay excise taxes. The worst case of corruption was Black Friday. Jay Gould and James Fisk planned to use the gold market to make a profit. They worked with inside officials to get the government from selling its gold. Then when investors had no where to go Gould and Fisk would sell their own gold and turn a huge profit. When Grant learned of this scheme he began to sell the treasuries gold which caused a huge drop in the value of gold which arguably started the depression of 1873.

Grant’s administration left a lasting effect on the nation. It gave blacks new rights and worked to diminish racism. However its corruption left a mark. As a result reformists groups would soon emerge to attack federal corruption and to establish more rights for workers. The country was in no way better off after Grant’s presidency but it was not necessarily worse. Grant was not corrupt personally but the people around him were and that plus the fact that he led the country into a depression make him deserve a C.

"Historical Party Strength in Congress." Congress OL. House of Representatives, 12 Nov. 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. .
 * Bibliography **

"Ulysses S. Grant." American President an Online Resource. University of Virginia, 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. .

"Ulysses S. Grant." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. .

"United States Senate." Senate.gov. United States Senate, 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. .