Ulyssess Grant Impact

A good president is someone who takes quick action whenever problems threaten the nation. Before he became the eighteenth President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant was a former general who exemplified strength and hope during the American Civil War. It was a very tumultuous time period in history and many American citizens sought a leader with capability. His strategic military techniques led the American troops to victory, and he constantly strived to help the country prosper both culturally and economically. However, his promising reputation has been tainted as a result of two weak presidential terms ridden with corruption and scandals that were caused by his ineffective cabinet. Nevertheless, the results of the American Civil War
The Reconstruction time period occurred after the war, and it was an era of dramatic change. Americans sought for a new president that was effective and possessed strong leadership skills, and Grant was an obvious choice after his recent victory. They were extremely concerned to find an active president because the economy was in disarray; the repercussions of the war were apparent as many people either died or were in adversity. Many officials of Grant’s administration were also at a financial loss and they thought of plans that they could personally benefit from. They believed that the best way to acquire wealth was through Grant himself, and they repeatedly manipulated him. Grant was also partially at fault because of his carelessness manner when choosing his administration and cabinet. He rarely made friends, but once they were made, they were as President Grant’s Attorney General George H. Williams said, “hooks made of steel,” (Williams, 8). Grant’s own son, Grant Jr., stated that his father was “ incapable of supposing his friends to be dishonest.” (“Ulysses S Grant Jr.”). Many of the cabinet members knew of his soft heart and used him as a pawn for their own wealth and
The first scandal that occurred was Black Friday, or also known as “The Gold Panic” which occurred on September 24, 1869. The Gilded Age transpired around this time, and it was a period of industrial growth. To finance the Civil War and Reconstruction, Grant proposed a policy to sell weekly gold, so that it would help boost the economy (Smith, 480-481). He put U.S Treasury George Boutwell in charge, and the economy was beginning to prosper again until gold speculators Jay Gould and James Fist bribed Grant’s assistant secretary of treasury Butterfield for inside information. Their main plan was to convince Grant with the help of his brother-in-law Abel Corbin, not to sell treasury gold in order to increase their own sales in their shipping business (“Black Friday, September 24, 1869”). This plan worked as they knew of Grant’s soft heart, and he was used as an advantage for their success. When Grant found out that the two speculators were buying and raising the price of gold, he immediately released four million dollars in gold on September 24, 1869, driving the price of gold down and completely ruining the speculators’ scheme. His quick actions exemplified signs of a good president and were praised by the citizens. Although he was initially convinced not to sell the Treasury gold, Grant immediately tried to stop the corruption from continuing at the sake of country’s