At the time of his death, July 23, 1885, Ulysses S. Grant was considered one of the popular person in the United States. His funeral procession in New York City stretched for seven miles with both surviving Union and Confederate Generals in attendance, while 1.5 million people lined the route. Historians have produced a plethora of studies and written material describing and analyzing the Ulysses S. Grant administration. Predominantly their primary focus deals with the negative aspects occurring in his administration, detailing the many scandals, fraudulent activities, political corruption, and describing him as inept, weak, or a naive executive. Although modern polls does not mark his presidency as the worst president, he often makes …show more content…
Grant” that provides some insight on his policy on race. Robert Bruce Slater asserts that “Almost all U. S. presidents held strong white supremacist views,” by listing notable quotes of past presidents comments. In one occurring during the 1858 debate, Abraham Lincoln said, “I am not, for ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races. There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.” He asserts during his studies of presidents, Grant “showed none of the outward signs of racism that were manifested in any of the presidents who came before and after him.” Slater then lists Grant’s accomplishments during his two administration: the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, granting African Americans the right to vote; the creation of the U.S. Department of Justice to provide protection of newly freed African Americans; created the Enforcement Acts, which allowed the use of federal troops to protect African Americans voting rights and crack down on the Ku Klux Klan, enabling the 1872 election to be the first “the most open and fairly contested balloting in the history of the South;” created the Civil Rights Act of 1875 banning racial segregation in public transportation and in public schools, but was later …show more content…
Kenneth R. Bowling’s article “From "Federal Town" to "National Capital" Ulysses S. Grant and the Reconstruction of Washington, D.C.” presents how Grant changed more than the designation, but also changed the national identity of Washington, D.C. Bowling contends that Washington D.C. lacked in a national identity as compared to its European counterparts – London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin. He affirms that a national capital would be the political, cultural, and commercial center of a nation, more than just a place where government conducted their business. He describes what a nation capital should reflect: “It is the center of national culture, including educational institutions, museums, professional and learned societies, theater, fashion, and often the home, or second home, of the so-called rich, well-born, and able. It can also be a center of commerce and finance. A capital is perhaps most importantly a repository of national memory and a reflection of national identity, a place citizens praise as a seat of virtue or attack as a den of vice – or
In 1866, the president’s vetoes to nullify the Civil rights act and Freedmen’s bureau we overridden because they felt that it was wrong to deny a U.S. citizen of their freedom, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States.” In the 1866 elections, the Republicans took power, and made certain that the fourteenth amendment would be passed so that African Americans could gain their rights.
During the period 1865 to 1941, there were as many as 18 presidents in office and in one way or another, they would’ve had to deal with the ongoing issue of black civil rights, whether that be improving them or reversing them. 1865 was the year of the end of the civil war, which has been a war over the question of whether slavery should be allowed. The South was defending the right to keep slavery within their confederate states, and the north was opposed to any extension of slavery. This was a key point in the fight for African American civil rights. 1865 was also known for the introduction of the 13th
Ulysses S. Grant had a big part in the Civil War because he was the leader of the Union’s army and soon would become president. Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. His named was soon changed because of a writing error on his first day at the United States Military Academy. He was the commander and chief of the Union and lead the army against the confederacy. He was chosen by Lincoln of all his victories like the battles at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga.
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.
Often times he seemed bewildered, looking to Congress for direction. As one visitor to the White House said he possessed, “a puzzled a pathos, as of a man with a problem before him of which he does not understand the terms.” Though quite honest, Grant had a knack of appointing people who were not morally sound. Although he was successful in pushing through the 15th Amendment, Ulysses S. Grant’s double-term was dominated by scandals and dishonor.
Ulysses S. Grant is generally showed as bad president by having mostly red and couple orange blocks on the graph in Wiki. His presidency is marked by him not being a political man and seemed ineffective enforcing the civil rights laws. He was involved in some scandals. He led the United States during a depression from Europe which affected the United States jobs. Ulysses also was dealing with a few scandals and he also passed the 15 amendment. Ulysses was not a political man, so he deserves what he is ranked at.
The Republican party strongly supported the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, in turn elevating themselves to becoming the popular party in African American culture in the 1870’s. Their votes gained Grant the presidency, which many argue he would have likely otherwise lost. A few of the unfortunate consequences of the 15th amendment were civil unrest, literacy laws, and the placement of a poll tax on those in the Southern states (which skirted the amendment) to continue to oppress African Americans’ right to vote. These conditions combined with deeply-rooted beliefs of those on both sides of the issue caused our country to be divided for
The election of Ulysses S. Grant to President in 1868, was out of a need to for Radical Republicans to have a like-minded president in office unlike that of President Johnson who had been impeached, but not fired by Congress. This was a political power play that the Republicans needed to maintain control and to continue their version of Reconstruction upon the South. During his presidency his ability to wage war and place the correct people in charge did not transition well into the civilian role as President. President Grant’s terms would be plagued by indecision that nearly destroyed the nation’s economy, took advantage of the spoils of his position, and failed to maintain a platform which to politically stand on. President Grant may have been an excellent military General, but he was unable to let go the military man that he was and
This proved to be a very important act passed. The passing of the voting to African Americans was strongly not wanted. The Ku Klux Klan along with other hate groups tried to prevent the 15th Amendment from being in place by violence and intimidation. In view of that fact the practical question immediately is, whether that situation of things could be changed by legislation. And if it could, if the protection of those whom the Ku-Klux keeps from the polls by terror would prevent the national government falling into the hands of the Ku-Klux party, ought they not to be protected and the government saved”, The Ku Klux 1871. “Two decisions in 1876 by the Supreme Court narrowed the scope of enforcement under the Enforcement Act and the Force Act, and together with the end of Reconstruction marked by the removal of federal troops after the Hayes-Tilden Compromise of 1877, resulted in a climate in which violence could be used to depress black voter turnout and fraud could be used to undo the effect of lawfully cast votes”, Before the Voting Rights Act.
infrastructure, education, and voting rights) by 1896, the progress of republican policies was undermined and a pre-war copy of the Old South was reconstructed. Officially, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments provided black men with equal rights and protections but these provisions were not enforced. While in 1865, the radical congressmen may have been completely devoted to the cause of advancing African American rights, their focus shifted by 1877. Some were tempted by financial gain and wrapped up in political scandals, others were devoted to preserving Constitutional principles such as property rights and self-governance while conveniently forgetting about the principle of “all men are created equal”. By 1896, the government had sided with white supremacists and blacks were left homeless and impoverished with the task of emancipating themselves from the shackles of systematic oppression based on the color of their skin. This political struggle between African Americans, their “supporters”, and oppressors who had been brainwashed after years of indoctrination, would carry into the 20th and 21st
The Thirteenth Amendment of 1865 abolished slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment of 1868 granted African Americans citizenship and equal protection under the law, and the Fifteenth Amendment of 1870 granted African Americans the right to vote. These amendments were passed in an effort to combat racism and reshape public perception of blacks, however, these laws were hard to enforce and Southern states developed their own laws like the Black Codes to control the newly freed slaves. Jim Crow-era laws in the South like the poll tax and literacy tests prevented many blacks in the South from voting. Anyone who tried to break Southern traditions was subject to violence and intimidation from the Ku Klux Klan.
This article explores the history of Washington D.C. during the post-World War II period and the impact that civil rights played in equalizing rights and opportunities for all races in the district. In several ways, the war improved Washington from a city that was rural and urban to one of the most important cities in America. It was a city that most thought to be the prime example of our nations’ democracy. It was representative of changes in population, government, infrastructure, public and private buildings which stimulated an increase in tourism. As a result an increase of conflict resulted in new views of segregation, discrimination, economics, education and legislation. This set the stage for the rapid expansion of the city throughout the latter half of the 19th century.
Firstly, Abraham Lincoln was never a person who said that a african american and white person were equal but instead said that they were man like them so they should be allowed to obtain property like theirs. In his personal life Abe had a unique upbringing and adulthood as he lived. His upbringing with a father who had no education, but was successful in life with what he did and a religious family to beat. Nevertheless, his uneducated father found a way to live a prosperous life being one of the most successful farmers in Kentucky. To boot, his family was one with morals and that came with being a family that was religious just like a great majority of southern culture all of them attended church on Sunday. Next, it came to his adulthood later on in his life he was a lawyer and even a statesman before doing anything else. He became a lawyer after studying for only 18 hours and started to practice law immediately; becoming very successful with the way he could use his words in court. While he was a
Even though he naively believed that white men were the supreme race, he was staunchly against slavery as an institution and felt that the Declaration of Independence included black persons. In the same debate, Lincoln goes on to state that he “[does] not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the Negro should be denied every thing” (Lincoln). He believed that ‘the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, applies to all men, regardless of their color, ethnicity, or culture. This may be attributed to the fact that he had not had many encounters with Black slaves until when he was in his late teens, where it had a profound impact on him (Foner 8).
The Passing of the 15th amendment in 1868 did give black men the right to vote. They were able to vote but were not permitted because they were blocked at the poles with threats of violence and death. The violence and intimidation of the Ku Klux Klan had a lot to do with the blocking of the blacks at the voting polls.