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Hiram Ulysses Grant (Ulysses S. Grant) April 27, 1822- July 23, 1885 Radical Republican //1869-1877 (2 terms)// Vice Presidents- Schuyler Colfax (1869-1873), Henry Wilson (1873-1875 (stroke))

Although Ulysses S. Grant was a civil war hero and played a major part in the North winning the war, he was not as good a president of the United States as he was a Civil War leader. Grant did little to move the country forward and for this reason, he deserves a grade of a C-. He had no policy for Reconstruction and just continued to do as Congress always had done in many situations. Grant also angered the Republican Party by using meathods of militarism. Although he did all this, he protected many African Americans and held the country together through tough times and proved worthy of serving two terms, proving his mark of a C-.

President Grant had many goals that he wanted to accomplish as president, most of which he sadly did not achieve. His first goal was to protect the civil and political rights of African Americans, most who were previously held as slaves. This problem proved difficult for Grant because he had to find a way to protect their rights without having a large number of people in the United States get angry and begin anothr civil war. Another goal of president Grant was to keep the Republican Party alive in the Southern states. To accomplish this goal, he tried many things, but his efforts that worked led to the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment. This allowed people to vote reguardless of race. He also passed the Enforcement Acts which prevented groups such as the Klu Klux Klan from terrorising blacks and supporters of black rights. Federal troops were ordered to protect blacks and their rights in multiple southern states. Grant did a fairly well job protecting African American rights but that was his only acomplishment that he was determined to achieve from the point of his election.

President Grant had a extremely good relationship with his Congress. He followed their meathods of the past and continued to do as they had been. Many of the people who worked with Grant in the White House had been hired by him and were from his army. President Grant's cabinet included: **Secretarys of State-** Elihu B. Washburne (1869) and Hamilton Fish (1869-77), **Secretarys of the Treasury-** George S. Boutwell (1869-73), William A. Richardson (1873-74), Benjamin H. Bristow (1874-76), and Lot M. Morrill (1876-77), **Secretarys of War-** John A. Rawlins (1869), William T. Sherman (1869), William W. Belknap (1869-76), Alphonso Taft (1876), and James D. Cameron (1876-77), **Attorney Generals-** Ebenezer R. Hoar (1869-70), Amos T. Akerman (1870-71), George H. Williams (1871-75), Edwards Pierrepont (1875-76), and Alphonso Taft (1876-77), **Postmaster Generals-** John A. J. Creswell (1869-74), James W. Marshall (1874), Marshall Jewell (1874-76), and James N. Tyner (1876-77), **Secretarys of the Navy-** Adolph E. Borie (1869) and George M. Robeson (1869-77), and his **Secretarys of the Interior-** Jacob D. Cox, Jr. (1869-70), Columbus Delano (1870-75), and Zachariah Chandler (1875-77). Grant's Congress passed the 15th Amendment during his terms. They also stayed strong during difficult times.

Grant's most positive accomplishments probably occured before he was elected into the office of President. However, as president he improved the country by reconstructing many of it's major issues. Grant did not achieve too much as president. He listened to Congress and mainly stayed below the hype. Although none of Grant's acomplishments had major effects, he had some negative issues during his administration. Some of them included angering the Republican Party and being accused of scandels. The most negative outcome of his administration would have to be the Credit Mobilier scandal of 1872. This added a major downside to people's opinions of Grant's honesty and his realiability. The scandel didn't benefit Grant personally but he played a major role in the railroad companies getting rich. These actions of his, put a poor mark on his name as president.

One major accomplishment of Grant that has influenced and will continue to influence American people is his determination to protect the rights of African Americans. He did this even though a large number of his supporters were against it and possibly even threatened him. Due to his courage and help, all United States citizens of legal age have the constitutional right to vote reguardless of race. This is partially because Grant had the inteligence and mental strenth to protect blacks. He found ways to protect rights without having protestors react violently. He played a major part in getting to the level of racial equality that we have in the United States today.

After Grant's two terms in office concluded, the country was about the same but possibly a little on the better side due to the fact that the civil war had been more of a thing of the past at the end of his term. As mentioned, Grant didn't change the country a whole lot. He improved and protected freed slaves rights, added states to the Union, and strenthened public moral. He did this by continuing Lincoln's legacy and finishing what he started. For this reason, it seems just to give President Grant a grade of a C-. He didn't hurt the country but he didn't move it forward too much either. That is why he deserves an average grade.

Work Cited:

"American President: Ulysses S. Grant: Domestic Affairs." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Web. 09 Apr. 2010. []. "Presidents of the United States (POTUS)." //Ipl2: Information You Can Trust//. Web. 09 Apr. 2010. []. "Ulysses S. Grant Civil War General American President." //American Civil War History Timelines Battle Map Pictures//. Web. 09 Apr. 2010. []. "Ulysses S. Grant." //The White House//. Web. 09 Apr. 2010. .