Ulysses S Grant

Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) was an American soldier, statesman, and writer. A West Point graduate, he rose to prominence during the Civil War as the Union’s leading general, accepting Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox in 1865. Grant later served as the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877), supporting Reconstruction and federal efforts to protect the civil rights of formerly enslaved people. After leaving office, he traveled widely and faced financial losses. In his final years, while ill with throat cancer, he wrote *Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant*, published in 1885.