Who Was President Ulysses S. Grant?
Ulysses S. Grant for Teachers, Students, & All Who Love to Learn
Looking for great YouTube video clips, books, and free worksheets and lapbooks for teaching and/or learning about President Ulysses S. Grant? Here you will find my favorite picks we used while studying the individual Presidents of the United States. This is part of a series of lessons I posted on individual Presidents. You can find links to all the lessons at President's Day Unit Study .
Do You Think Ulysses S. Grant Was a Good President?
Just the Facts on Our 18th President
Presidential Term: 1869-1877
Political Party: Republican
Vice Presidents: Schuyler Colfax (1869-73) & Henry Wilson (1873-75)
Birthplace: Ohio
Occupation: Soldier
Yearly Salary as President: $25,000 until 1873 when it was raised to $50,000
(First time yearly salary was increased)
Height: 5'8"
First Lady: Julia Dent Grant
Ulysses S. Grant, a national war hero, entered the White House with many military victories but with no political experience. By becoming President, Grant gave up his lifetime military pension, leaving him impoverished shortly after his presidential term ended.
Grant helped to restore economic order during the Panic of 1873, a global economic crash known as the "Great Depression" until the 1930's.
During his presidency, Grant worked to bring back the remaining Southern states (VA, MS, TX, and GA) and to grant rights to all black Americans, which he did through supporting the passage of the 15th Amendment, the Naturalization Act of 1870, the Ku Klux Klan Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
During Grant's presidency, Secretary of State Fish was able to settle matters with England regarding their support of the Confederate states. Following what was known as the Alabama Claims, Britain agreed to pay America $15.5 million for the damage down my ships such as the USS Alabama. Fish also diplomatically avoided a war with Spain after they executed Americans aboard a merchant ship, Virginius, on its way to Cuba. While many Americans called for war, they were satisfied with Spain paying $80,000 in retribution to the families of the slaughtered victims. This became known as the Virginius Affair.
While Grant himself was an honest man, his appointees were frequently found to be corrupt as shown by the many scandals that occurred during his time in office including Black Friday in 1869, the Salary Grab in 1872, the Whiskey Ring in 1875, the Trading Post Ring in 1876, and numerous other scandals.
Where was Ulysses S. Grant buried?
Have you ever heard Groucho Marx's riddle, "Who was buried in Grant's Tomb?" No one was "buried" there since Grant and his wife were entombed! General Grant National Memorial, also known as "Grant's Tomb", is the largest mausoleum in North America. The mausoleum is located in New York City and is actually one of the largest mausoleums in the world!
Ulysses S. Grant on the Fifty-Dollar Bill
Timeline of Major Events During Ulysses S. Grant's Presidency
Timeline of Major Events
1869
Transcontinental Railroad finished with the Golden Spike
Women granted right to vote in Wyoming Territory (First time women in the US allowed to vote)
Chewing gum patented by William Semple
1870
J. D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil
Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, & Georgia are readmitted to the Union
15th Amendment passed (all male citizens can vote regardless of their race)
First Enforcement Act (enforces rights given to blacks)
Grant met with Sioux chief Red Cloud
Department of Justice created
First black person elected to House of Representatives: Joseph H Rainey (SC)
1871
Second Enforcement Act (federal control of congressional elections)
Third Enforcement Act (the president can suspend writ of habeas corpus)
The Great Chicago Fire
Polaris expedition attempts to reach the North Pole
Grant suspends writ of habeas corpus
Susan B. Anthony arrested after voting
1872
Yellowstone becomes the first national park in the world
First black Vice-Presidential candidate: Frederick Douglass
Grant re-elected
1873
Comstock Law
Virginius Affair
Levi Strauss patented blue jeans
Panic of 1873 (called the "Great Depression" until the 1930s)
1875
Specie Resumption Act
Whiskey Ring Scandal
First Kentucky Derby
Supported Blaine Amendment
1876
All Native Americans in America are ordered to move onto reservations
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone
Custer's Last Stand at Battle of Little Bighorn
Colorado admitted as the 38th state
1877
Chief Joseph and Nez Perce forced to move to a reservation
Great Worksheets, Lapbooks, Trivia, & Recipes
We found these to be helpful when creating a notebook, lapbook, and cooking project on President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant for Teachers offers links to free worksheets, book suggestions, general information and trivia, interactive computer games, and more related to President Grant.
Grant's Favorite Recipes provides recipes for some of Ulysses S. Grant's favorite foods, Fried Apples with Bacon, Veal Rolls, Leg of Veal, and Rice Pudding Melah, and also includes a a description of some of his other favorite dishes.
Presidential Statistics and Points of Interest includes an overview of Ulysses S. Grant's life and some fun points of interest.
Our Favorite Children's Books on President Ulysses S. Grant
How To Draw The Life And Times Of Ulysses S. Grant (Kid's Guide to Drawing the Presidents of the United States of America) by Betsy Dru Tecco is a great book that combines art (drawing lessons) and history. It covers Grant, both his life and his presidency and includes easy drawing lessons so that your children can draw the main events and places. Ulysses S. Grant by Colonel Red Reeder is a chapter book (under 100 pages) with black and white illustrations every few pages. It is perfect for early elementary-aged children. My 7 year old loved reading this adventure-filled chapter book! U. S. Grant: Young Horseman (Childhood of Famous Americans) by Augusta Stevenson is longer than the book by Colonel Red Reeder. It has about 200 pages and focuses on the childhood of Grant. It includes many stories that point to the development of his character. It has black and white illustrations every few pages. Even though it is a longer chapter book, it is still a fun book to read for elementary aged children as it has large print and plenty of action. Only the last chapter speaks of his adult life and accomplishments. Ulysses S. Grant: General and President by Joseph Olgin is another great chapter book.
Our Favorite Child Friendly YouTube Video Clip on President
Good Overview of Ulysses S. Grant
Looking for more lessons on Presidents or all of my unit studies and lessons?
- Presidents Day Unit Study - I posted links to each of my lessons on individual Presidents here. In each lesson I included fun worksheets, children's books, YouTube clips, timelines, and recipe ideas. On this page I also included our favorite books and YouTube video clips that cover all of the Presidents of the United States.
- Fun, FREE Hands-On Unit Studies - I have posted my links to over 35 hands-on unit studies (compromised of over 170 lessons) that focus primarily on science and social studies. In each lesson plan I have listed the activities that we did (and included photos), the books we read, YouTube video clips that we watched, and lapbook links that pair with the lesson.