About the Man
The history of Ulysses S Grant is a tough one to decipher. For the majority of historians, Grant was a terrible president yet modern day historians have begun to look on his legacy more favorably.
Still, it’s undeniable that Grant, a great military general, was at best a mediocre president. His flaws as a leader were similar to those gone before, an inability to take a stance and a leniency towards the corruption that surrounded him.
That fact is quite odd, actually. No one would have predicted it during the inaugural ceremonies of 1869. For in fact, Grant was a no-nonsense general. A cut and dry man who kept subordinates in his ranks on one condition – could they do the job? There was no bias in his decision making.
The people, namely Republican leaders, loved him, however. They forgave him his failures. In his second inaugural address, Grant stated that “failures have been errors of judgment, not of intent.” He remained calm in the crisis that surrounded the election of his successor, and his public opinion soared, yet the historians who would later write the book on the Grant era were not so kind.
A common refrain amongst many making their egress from the White House, Grant is quoted as saying “I never wanted to get out of a place as much as I did to get out of the presidency.”
Fun Fact*: Grant remained nameless for a month after his birth. His mother was going to name him “Albert” but in the end the name of his grandfather Hiram was chosen, Ulysses came from Greek mythology. Upon entering West Point, he was embarrassed by the thought of having his initials “H.U.G.” on his trunk, so he signed his name “U.H. Grant.” He learned, however, that he was erroneously enrolled as “Ulysses Simpson Grant.” Grant went along with the change, finding no fault with the initials “U.S.G.” Classmates began calling him “Uncle Sam Grant.” It’s proof that kids can screw up any name, the creativity of nicknaming is an art and the possibilities are endless.
*taken from The Complete Book of US Presidents
