ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT









Ulysses S.Grant did not like politics. But that changed when Abraham Lincoln died and then Andrew Johnson became president. Sometime earlier Lincoln had invited Grant and his wife to be his guest at the theater (the night he was shot), but Grant had refused saying he wanted to go home to his family. Sometime later Grant noticed that Andrew Johnson did not view the south as Lincoln did and it became clear to Grant that there was only one man now that could heal the wounds of the nation.



He became our 18th President, serving 2 terms from April 4,1869 to March 3,1877 and he came very close to serving a third term too in 1880. He was well loved by the American people.







During his time as President he is known for signing the act establishing the First National Park,
the Yellowstone National Park, 3-1-1872



In Washington DC. standing to the west of the US Capitol and facing from the Lincoln Memorial, looking down the long mall is the statue of Ulysses S. Grant.







It took Henry Shrady 20 years to complete the sculpture of General Grant astride his horse, flanked on one side by an artillery group and on the other side by a cavalry group. The whole statue platform is nearly as long as a football field. And it stands 65 feet high. In the corners stand 4 large lions protecting the flags of the U.S.Army. Henry the sculptor died 15 days prior to the dedication ceremony that was on Grant's, 100th anniversary of his birth, and presented by Ulysses' own grand-daughter.




First Lady
Julia Dent Grant
1826-1902


Daughter of Frederick and Ellen Dent, Julia was raised on a southern style plantation near St. Louis. in her un-published memoirs ( until 1975) she said her girlhood years were like ..."one long summer of sunshine and flowers and smiles"...

She met "Ulys" at her home, he was a classmate of her West Point brother. Soon they were falling in love and she was wearing his West Point ring. They became engaged in 1844 but the Mexican War delayed their wedding for 4 years. Her father did not like the idea of his daughter marrying Ulysses Grant. He thought Grant to be too poor for his daughter. This enraged Julia who stood up to her father and pointed out that they were also poor at the time.They use to be slave holders/owners, and now they no longer own them so they too are poorer.


Then after so many years of hardship and stress she entered the White House in 1869 with her husband, to begin what she called " the happiest period of my life" They traveled all over the world, received many gifts where ever they went.



When they left the White House, Ulysses had many business failures, and soon lost all he had. And was a very poor man then. And then he got throat cancer, he strove hard to complete his memoirs to earn enough money to support Julia after his death. She had attended the dedication of Grants Tomb in New York City in 1897, and when she died in 1902 was laid to rest there with her husband.









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B A C K


Now please take the '57 Chevy to go back to the USA DRIFTERS and see that it gets back in the garage.




Now that the car has been properly cared for and put away, this tour is coming to it's end. Just one more page to go. And we can walk over to that one.