Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson) Grant

Born in Ohio in 1822, Ulysses S. Grant attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served in the Mexican-American War. After leaving the army and struggling in civilian life, he returned to military service when the Civil War began in 1861. His victories at Forts Henry and Donelson, Vicksburg, and elsewhere made him the Union’s most important commander, and he accepted Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox in 1865.

Grant served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. His administration supported Reconstruction, helped enforce civil rights protections, and established Yellowstone as the nation’s first national park. In his final years, while facing throat cancer and financial hardship, he completed his memoirs, which became one of the most respected firsthand accounts of the Civil War.

He died on July 23, 1885, leaving behind a legacy shaped by both military achievement and personal perseverance.