Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant on September 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He went to school at the United States Military Academy at West Point starting at age 17. He gained military experience after graduation with 4 years of mandatory service. He served under both Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War. After falling out of military service for a time, he gained a position heading a volunteer regiment in the Civil War. He had a notable battle at Shiloh. He also led a successful siege on Vicksburg so he could gain control of the Mississippi River. Finally, after fighting for a long time, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered and the Civil War fight was over.
Additional Info:
Additional Info:
- Just like a majority of US war heroes, Grant was elected president starting in 1868.
- During his fallout from the military, he worked various jobs, including at his father’s tannery and selling firewood on the street, among others.
- He has a 2-volume set of memoirs written by Mark Twain that were very popular, selling 300,000 copies and making nearly $450,000.