[USA] - 18th President of the USA Ulysses S. Grant - Part 1

Ulysses S. Grant	Birth: 27 April 1822
	Died: 23 July 1885
	Party: Republican
	Presidency: 1869 – 1877
	Vice President: Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson
	Nickname: Uncle Sam

 

● Professional Baseball

During the Civil War, baseball became a popular sports. Harry Wright and George Ellard organized the first professional baseball club named the Cincinnati Red Stockings on 15th March 1869. (Still the Major League Baseball wasn’t established yet)

 

 

Professional baseball players were hired and played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings for the first time. The Red Stockings would travel around the country and challenge local baseball amateur clubs while they charged admission prices.

This showed the demand of professional baseball and became the start of the launch for professional baseball leagues.

 

 

● Susan B. Anthony

Probably, one of the most active women rights leaders was Susan B. Anthony. Susan B. Anthony along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the Women’s Loyal National League in support of the Abolitionist movement.

This organization became one of the largest petitions that collected about 400,000 signatures for the abolitionist movement.

 

Left: Anthony. Susan B. Anthony     Right :  Elizabeth Cady Stanton

 

After the Civil War, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National American Woman Suffrage Association to fight for women rights during th Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Susan B. Anthony published the ‘Revolution’ in 1868 that was a radical women’s rights newspaper that advocated for women equality.

 

 

Susan B. Anthony tried to cast a ballot during the 1872 presidential elections but was arrested for illegal voting. (It was illegal this time).

Her efforts would later lead to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment also known as the Susan’s Amendment that granted voting rights for women in 1920.

 

 

● George Armstrong Custer and the Little Big Horn Massacre

George Armstrong Custer was a veteran of the Civil War. He participated in the Civil War since the First Battle of the Bull Run and throughout the surrender of the Appomattox Court House.

He remained in the federal army and took command of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Tensions between the Native Americans and the federal government started to increase.

 

 

As the Sioux and Cheyenne clans that were considered ‘hostile’ took off from their designated reservation territories, the federal government would order the army to pursuit them.

George Armstrong Custer along with the 7th Cavalry Regiment were initially ordered reconnaissance but Custer decides to lead raiding parties on the Native Americans.

 

 

He was already known for his hostility against the Native Americans and he leads his regiment to raid a village on the Little Bighorn River banks.

However, on the banks of the Little Bighorn River were the war chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull were honored war chiefs and great leaders of their tribes.

 

 

During the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull’s forces annihilated George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment with no survivors.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn became George Armstrong Custer’s last stand. The death of one of the youngest general of the Union Army shocked the federal government. 

 

 

● Mail-order Catalogs – America’s first distribution business

America’s first order and delivery service was the Montgomery Ward’s sales. Aaron Montgomery Ward launched his first mail-order catalog service in August 1872.

His catalog had about 150 items written that would be delivered to consumers upon order.

 

 

The Montgomery Ward that would later be branded as Wards became the first distributor business in the United States(although it is liquidized during the early 2000’s).

Soon after Montgomery Ward became a successful business, Sears Roebuck the founder of ‘Sears’ starts his own catalog and distribution business in 1888.

 

 

● U.S Grant and International Diplomacy after presidency

Ulysses S. Grant’s full name was Ulysses Sam (Samuel) Grant. His name did help him in some parts during the Civil war as people would refer to him as ‘Uncle Sam’.

Also, Grant’s request of ‘Unconditional Surrender’ to the Southern Confederate States would become a popular phrase for U.S Grant when he commanded the whole Union Army.

 

 

Ulysses S. Grant was famous for his somewhat ruthless and decisive leadership willing to face consequences.

However, personally he was a shy person and indecisive in nature (except for his military strategic decisions) who was even afraid of blood and often cry for his ruthless decisions. This would make discrepancies between what citizens expected from him.

 

 

After presidency, Ulysses S. Grant would take a world tour meeting with various world leaders such as Queen Victoria, Pope Leo XIII, Otto von Bismarck, Li Hongzhang, Emperor Meiji in person.

Although this wasn’t an official governmental diplomatic affairs mission, the world leaders granted him with honor and even showed the world a glimpse that the United States were now interested in worldwide affairs.

 

 

● 50 Dollar Bill

Ulysses S. Grant would have to face numerous scandals during his presidency.

However, he himself was a very innocent man and a very popular figure due to his contribution in winning the Civil War. People even wanted to elect him president for the third time despite the scandals, numerous tragedies such as the economic crisis of 1873. However he was honored to be on the 50 dollar bill of the United States of America.