Ulysses S. Grant and the Trials of Leadership Essay

General Ulysses S. Grant's brilliant siege of Vicksburg had a significant impact on the surrender of the Confederacy. This Vicksburg campaign was significant due to the fact that it basically gave the Union total control of the Mississippi River. This meant the isolation of the West and basically a clear waterway for supplies to reach the Deep South. Once this waterway was open arms, food, and soldiers could be provided for the Union soldiers in the South and open a devastating wound in the heart of the Confederacy. Once Vicksburg had been taken the West would basically be isolated and under the Unions control; in addition Grant could focus on the heart of the South. Once Vicksburg was captured, and Grant advanced

(Williams 53).Grant was born in point pleasant, Ohio, on April 27 ,1822, the son os Hannah

I start this project on Lincoln’s leadership very reluctantly. I am a history buff and have always viewed his leadership through the eyes of jaded historians. They have portrayed him as a dictator, incompetent, and a buffoon at some points. After reading the Donald T. Phillips book Lincoln on Leadership, my mindset was totally changed. This book broke down four key areas that produced an effective leader in Lincoln. These areas are character, people, endeavor, and communication. I will be sharing a principal from each key area that I found important and then conclude with an overall thought.

Throughout the history of the United States of America, many great people have directed toward success. The American nation has been honored with many of the greatest people in history, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison. Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the most greatest president in US History. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12,1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He is known for his leadership and skills as president along with his pleasant personality. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and accomplished many things such as Emancipation Proclamation,

President Grant was the United stated 18th president. Many historians have spoken poorly about him, calling him corrupt and ineffective. Even though many of those historians mention how he was no good as a president, they never explain how and what he actually did to prove he was corrupt and ineffective. Although historians such as Thomas A bailey, C.Van Woodward and Arthur Schlesinger call him ignorant, the all-time low point as well as placing him in the among the failures, he was neither of them all he was doing is what any other president would of done. He was doing what was best for the country and those historians did not see it that way. Despite the fact that many historians agree that he was corrupt and ineffective he was neither of them, he was doing what was right for the country, for the people and he was just doing what every other president has and would of done.

     Ulysses attended school in Georgetown until he was 14. He then spent one year at the academy in Maysville, Kentucky, and in 1838, he entered an academy in nearby Ripely, Ohio. Early in 1839, his father learned that a neighbors son had been dismissed from the U.S. Military Academy. Jesse asked his congressman to appoint Ulysses as a replacement. The

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Born into a middle class family, he was the first son of Jesse Root Grant, a tanner and businessman, and Hannah Simpson Grant. A year after his birth, his family packed their bags and moved to Georgetown, Ohio. Here Grant spent the majority of his childhood, one he deemed “uneventful.” The son of an outgoing father and reserved mother, Grant took after the latter, characterized as shy in his childhood. He was abhorrent toward the idea of taking over his father’s tannery business, a fact his father slowly came to realize. So rather than inheriting his father’s business, Grant was arranged to enter the United States Military Academy at the age of 17.

“Death created the modern American union, not just by ensuring national survival, but by shaping enduring national structures and commitments. The work of death was Civil War America 's most fundamental and most demanding undertaking”— Drew Gilpin Faust. Death in the Civil War was indeed a principle in creating the America we know and love today. This was the bloodiest war in United States military history. Within the war was the Battle of Gettysburg, a battle that was engulfed in massive suffering and loss of life. July first through the third 1863, A rural town in the eastern United States, Gettysburg Pennsylvania, is host to the largest, most fierce, battle ever to occur on American soil. At the start, Rumors were circulating that Lee was marching his army over the Potomac river and into southern Pennsylvania. Eventually, solid military intelligence confirmed this, and with an equally sized army, under the command of Gen. George G. Meade, the Union began on a collision course with the confederate army, and so began the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was a turning point because, the south’s morale declined while the north’s increased; northern casualties were lower than the south’s; and the north gained a geographical advantage from the battle.

Ulysses S. Grant was an American general and 18th president of the United States. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, the son of Hannah Simpson and Jesse Grant, the owner of a tannery. Taken to nearby Georgetown at the age of one, he was educated in local and boarding schools. In 1839, under the name of Ulysses Simpson instead of his original Hiram Ulysses, he was appointed to West Point. Graduating 21st in a class of 39 in 1843, he was assigned to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. There he met Julia Dent, a local planter's daughter, whom he married after the Mexican War.

Has your leadership ever been tested and what do you set your foundation on? If the country became divided and you had to choose a side, could you? What would you base your decision off of? This is the decision that Robert E. Lee faced when the Civil War kicked off. Robert E. Lee was a visionary leader and ethical leader during the Civil War. First, as a visionary leader, Robert E. Lee set his leadership foundation on self-discipline and used Transformational Leadership Behavior “Individualized Consideration” to lead and motivate his troops into battle even when they were outnumbered. Furthermore, as an ethical leader, Robert E. Lee’s loyalty to his homeland allowed him to overcome an “ethical dilemma” using “critical thinking” to avoid an “ethical trap.” Finally, Robert E. Lee’s actions allowed me to reflect on improvements to my visionary and ethical leadership traits in my new assignment and deployed environments. Robert E. Lee knew he had to be “self-aware” and utilize his men to their full potential before he could march them onto the battlefield where the odds were against them.

Across time, political leaders have often been remembered for their greatness by how they faced challenges than with what particular skills or abilities they had during their time in office. This statement is known to be true as political leaders are often expected to solve certain issues or challenges when in office and if their contributions benefit the state or country. Additionally, history books, records, and scholarly journals will take note of a leader’s response to challenges, how they are handled, and if the issue is solved more than whether they adequately used certain skills and abilities to solve the problem. In short, challenges, when faced, allow the political leaders to be remembered more so than their talents.

(Alter, 2002) Friends of his would later state he was a slow reader, but had a good memory. By the time he was fourteen years old, he had learned all his school would offer, and soon, after studying at a private school in Kentucky then Ohio, he completed his high school education. (Gaines, 2009) Despite this, according to Grant, his childhood was “uneventful”. He did what most frontier children would do: go to school, do chores, ice skate, fish, and ride horses. He also hated his father’s tannery and its stench, but he showed an unparalleled talent for working with horses, so his father allowed Grant to earn his keep that way. (PBS, 2013) He bought his first horse at the age of nine using money he had earned hauling wood, and he would train horses for other farms as a teenager. (Alter, 2002) After being forced by his father at seventeen, Grant was forced to attend West Point Military Academy, where he discovered his name was not listed as a new cadet, with only a U.S. Grant being on the list, so not wanting to risk rejection, he changed his name to Ulysses S. Grant. (PBS, 2013) Some say rather he changed his name to avoid being teased by others by the initials H.U.G. (Simon, 2013) He excelled in mathematics and horsemanship, but did horribly in French. He graduated twenty first out of thirty nine cadets in his class. (PBS, 2013) After graduation, Grant was stationed with the Fourth Infantry at the Jefferson Barracks in Missouri. There, he would visit an

General John C. Fremont was a well known Union general at the beginning of the Civil War with a previous career in politics and in the military. He had what many would say was a successful career in politics and also helped to map the upper Mississippi River. There was much speculation as to why the Union Army suffered great defeat along with the loss of their General Nathaniel Lyon at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. It is believed that General Fremont was an inept leader, one that was out of touch with his troops and the situation in which they were in along with failing to provide the proper support General Lyon. Because he suffered such backlash, he tried to take action and prove that he had control over his

As a child, Eisenhower outshined many classmates in school and received an invitation to attend West Point, a prominent military academy in New York. After joining the army, he was quickly promoted because of his hard work and dedication (The White House). Eisenhower always respected

Lincoln on Leadership is a book that discusses all of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership styles and strategies and talks about how successful he was because of these attributes as our President. The main character of the book is President Abraham Lincoln. He grew up in a poor background and worked his way to where he was as President. Lincoln tried many careers such as a postmaster, a surveyor, and a lawyer so that he could have a life of success. He always learned from his failures and worked very hard to make it in life because he was from such a disadvantaged background. He was devoted to human rights, innovation, and compassion. He was an amazing leader with leadership styles that kept the United States as one. Leaders today should be able to use these guidelines and to try to an effective leader no matter what setting this is in whether it is business, politics, or healthcare.