The Man Who Failed Many Jobs But Won the Civil War

Biography: A Failure is Born To Win a War

(Picture Citation)("Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center- Gold. Gale. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.)
In a dark two room logged cabin owned by Jesse and Hannah Grant, a baby boy is born. His name originally was Hiram Ulysses Grant. His father Jesse was a tanner and his mom is thought to have been psychotic and was kept away from anyone outside of the family.
Soon after Grant was born, his family moved him to Georgetown, where he is raised. Grant was sent to many nearby schools in Maysville and Ripley. Growing up, he had to work on his father’s farm. He plowed the fields. He gathered firewood. He even said that he “did all the work with the horses.”
Grant was enrolled into the United States Military Academy when he turned 17. Grant hated the school and was extremely hopeful when Congress wanted to pass a bill to get rid of the academy. Out of all of the students at the academy Grant was considered average. (“Ulysses Simpson Grant” Biography Resource Center. Gale, 1994. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.)
Ulysses Grant changed his name many times. First he changed his name, Hiram Ulysses Grant, to Ulysses Hiram Grant because before he had the initials “H.U.G.” Then Grant changed his name a second time to Ulysses Simpson Grant (“Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)” Student Resource Center- Gold. Gale. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.). His first initials were now “U.S.” like Uncle Sam. This caused people to start calling Grant “Sam Grant.”(“Ulysses Simpson Grant” Biography Resource Center. Gale, 1994. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.)
When Grant graduated from the academy in 1843 he served in the army for 11 years. He worked in forts at Missouri and Tennessee. In 1854 he resigned from the army and went to work in many different places. He was a failure at all of the jobs he worked at. He failed at working on his father-in-laws farm. He failed at working as a firewood supplier. Grant failed as a bill collector for his wife’s cousin and in his father’s store as a clerk. Eventually when the Civil war came around he joined the army as a colonel for Illinois. Shortly after, he was appointed a brigadier general. (“Ulysses Simpson Grant” Biography Resource Center. Gale, 1994. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.)During the Civil war Grant had many victories. He had caused the city Vicksburg to surrender and turn the war around. He was such a success in the army that President Lincoln chose Grant to be the overall commander of the Union forces. In 1865, Grant was the commander who accepted General Robert E. Lee’s surrender and ended the war. (“Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.) Before Grant could end the war many people wanted to get rid of Grant and keep him out of the army. Lincoln refused saying, “I can’t spare this man, he fights.”("Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale, 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)
After the was Grant was elected president of the United States. Grant had focused his causes on the Native American population. Many people would talk about Grant as a “political suicide.” Even so many people still loved Grant and very much admired him.( "Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale, 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)
Eventually after he was done with his presidential terms, Grant started to write memoirs that his friend Samuel “Mark Twain” Clemens encouraged him to start. On June 23, 1885, Ulysses Simpson Grant died of throat cancer.("Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)

1st influence: The Man Who Turned the War Around

(Picture Citation)("Ulysses S. Grant." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.)
The Civil War is raging. The Confederates are winning over the Union. Then General Grant decides to capture the town of Vicksburg. After a month of fighting, on July 4th the city of Vicksburg surrendered. By this time not only had Grant won over Vicksburg but the whole Mississippi River for the Union army. By winning over these areas Grant gave the Union renewed strength and pushed the Union into winning position. If Grant had not won over Vicksburg, who knows what the U.S. would be like today.("Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)

2nd Influence: The Commander Who Ended the War

(Picture Citation)("Ulysses S. Grant during Civil War." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.)The Civil War has been going on for years now. People are tired of the war. President Lincoln decides to appoint Grant as the main commander of the Union army. Grant orders the army to take over the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. In fall of 1864 the Union was close to taking over both Richmond and Petersburg. The fighting went on until April 2, 1865. Then, days later the confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant, and Grant ended the war. Without the war ending, the fight could have gone on for many more years. Who knows where we would be now as a country.("Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)

Fun Facts!!!!

(Picture Citation)(Ulysses S Grant. Photograph. 18 Jan. 2009. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.)Ulysses S. Grant’s real name is Hiram Ulysses Grant. He changed his name many times. He hated his name because of the initials of “H.U.G.” Before Grant had become the commander of the Civil War, he had resigned from the army. But by resigning he became a failure at everything. He failed at working on street corners, as a clerk, a farmer, and as a bill collector. Grant had also been friends with Samuel “Mark Twain” Clemens. Also, Grant had died of throat cancer.("Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885)." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)("Ulysses Simpson Grant." Biography Resource Center. Gale, 1994. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.)