Ulysses S. Grant (1822 – 1885) and Julia Dent Grant
Grant was known primarily for his roles as a Civil War general and 18th President of the United States. This exhibit offers a glimpse into Grant’s life and lasting legacy.
Ulysses S Grant West Point Graduation
Grant’s father, Jesse Root Grant, enrolled his son in the United States Military Academy West Point in 1839. Grant’s West Point education included chemistry, philosophy, French, morals and policies, rhetoric, and science of war. He excelled in equestrianism, math, and art, but was an average student overall.
(Cabinet card, Julia Dent Grant) (ca. 1869) by Mathew BradyOriginal Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
Julia Dent Grant
In February 1844, Ulysses S. Grant was invited to the home of his West Point classmate Frederick Dent. There, he met Dent’s sister Julia. Grant returned to White Haven frequently to court Julia, proposing to her that May. The Mexican-American War delayed their wedding by four years.
Letter from Ulysses S Grant to Julia Dent Grant (1850 or 1851)Original Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
Ulysses and Julia Grant wrote letters to each other throughout their engagement and marriage. This letter was discovered inside a window frame at White Haven in 1998. Only part of the text remains.
(Carte-de-Visite, Grant and Family) (ca. 1863)Original Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
Grant and Family
Ulysses and Julia Grant were married for 37 years and raised four children: Frederick, Ulysses Jr. (“Buck”), Ellen (“Nellie”), and Jesse.
(White Haven exterior, front) (2020) by National Park Service PhotoOriginal Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
White Haven, located outside St. Louis, Missouri, was the childhood home of Julia Dent Grant. From 1854 to 1859, the Grant and Dent families, along with enslaved African American laborers, lived and worked at this 800-acre estate. In 1874, the house was painted “Paris Green,” a popular color at the time.
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Letter from Ulysses S Grant to Adj. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas (May 21, 1861)Original Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
Letter from Ulysses S Grant to Adj. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas
Grant's Three-Star General Shoulder Bars (1861 – 1865)Original Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
Grant's Three-Star General Shoulder Bars
In 1864, President Lincoln gave Grant command of the entire Union army as three-star Lieutenant General. With his focus on swift, targeted strikes and offensive maneuvers unified across the entire Union army, General Grant’s strategies were unlike those of previous leaders.
Grant relentlessly pursued General Robert E. Lee and his Confederate army through aggressive campaigns and battles such as the Battle of Cold Harbor and the Battle of the Wilderness. Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9th, 1865 at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.
Grant’s popularity after the Civil War gained the attention of the Republican Party. His 1868 presidential campaign platform argued for civil rights for all. The last line of Grant’s acceptance speech, “Let Us Have Peace,” became his campaign slogan. He successfully ran for a second term in 1872.
The "Strong" Government 1869-1877; The "Weak" Government 1877-1881 (1877) by Puck MagazineOriginal Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
President Grant kept reunification of the nation at the forefront of his actions during Reconstruction. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified on February 3, 1870, prohibits states from denying any citizen the right to vote due to their race, color, or previous experience of being enslaved.
Concerned over increased violence against African Americans in the south, Grant also established the Department of Justice, which presided over the conviction of more than 1000 Ku Klux Klan members between 1870 and 1876.
General Grant and Li Hung Chang, Chinese Grand Secretary of State and Viceroy of Chih-Li (October 4, 1879) by See TayOriginal Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
General Grant and Li Hung Chang
After retiring from public office in 1877, Ulysses and Julia Grant embarked on a diplomatic tour of 19 countries from May 1877 to September 1879. As a representative of the Hayes administration, Grant’s itinerary included meetings with prominent figures in each country and celebrations in his honor.
Gen. Grant - Taken five days before his death at Mt. McGregor, New York (1885)Original Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
In 1884, Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer. Facing his imminent demise and the threat of financial ruin due to recent disastrous business dealings, Grant found himself in a race against time to complete his memoirs.
His friend, famed author Mark Twain, provided invaluable assistance by arranging for a generous royalty agreement. Grant completed the manuscript just three days before his death. The memoirs were immediately popular, generating a small fortune for the Grant family after his passing.
(Grant with mourning band for President Lincoln)Original Source: National Park Service Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant Exhibit
Grant with mourning band for President Lincoln
At the time of his death on July 23, 1885, the nation collectively mourned Ulysses S. Grant as a national hero. Grant’s legacy, his contributions to civil rights and American institutions, and his impact on the nation are still relevant today.
To learn more, visit the virtual Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant exhibit.
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