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Ulysses S. Grant was born in 1822 in Ohio. When he was young, he spent his time on his father’s farm where he became an excellent horseman. His father suggested that he go to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. At first, Grant did not like the idea because he had no intention of becoming a soldier. But he changed his mind when he realized this was his chance to have a college education.
After graduating from West Point, Grant became an officer in the army and fought during the Mexican War (1846-1848). Grant married Julia Dent in 1848. They had four children. Grant had various posts on the west coast. But he became very unhappy being separated from his family and started to drink. In 1854 he left the army to return home and open a general store.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Grant reentered the military. He quickly became known as “Unconditional Surrender (U.S.) Grant”. In 1864 President Abraham Lincoln made him General-in-Chief of the entire Union Army. Grant then led the Union Army against Robert E. Lee in Virginia. They battled for over a year, before Grant finally defeated Lee and the Confederate Army. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia on April 9, 1865. In an effort to restore the Union, Grant offered very generous terms of surrender by allowing confederate troops to return home after surrendering their weapons.
Grant became very popular after the Civil War, and, in 1868, he became the 18th President of the United States. He served two terms as president and even ran for a third, which he didn't win. Unfortunately, his presidency was marked by a series of scandals. Many of the people in his administration stole from the government.
Despite all the scandals, Grant succeeded in establishing the National Park System including the first National Park, Yellowstone, and fighting for the civil rights of both African Americans and Native Americans. It was also during his presidency that the 15th Amendment was passed, giving the right to vote to all men.
From 1877 to 1879, Grant and his family travelled the world and met some of the important world leaders of the time: Queen Victoria in England, Prince Bismarck in Germany, the emperor of Japan, and the Pope at the Vatican. They also visited Russia, China, Egypt, and the Holy Land.
Grant spent the end of his days writing his own autobiography. He died of throat cancer in 1885, probably as a result of smoking several cigars a day for much of his life.
