Ulysses S. Grant Timeline

(April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885)

This timeline chronicles the life of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War. It covers his humble beginnings in Ohio, his rise to military fame at Vicksburg and Appomattox, his two-term presidency focused on Reconstruction and civil rights, and his final years writing his celebrated memoirs. More Less

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Early Life

Birth of Hiram Ulysses Grant in Point Pleasant, Ohio

Apr 27, 1822

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio, the first of six children born to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant. His family later moved to Georgetown, Ohio, where he spent his boyhood working in his father's tannery and on the family farm.

Image source: Ulysses S. Grant

Appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point

Jul 1, 1839

Through his father's efforts, Grant secured an appointment to West Point. A clerical error registered him as 'Ulysses S. Grant,' a name he eventually adopted permanently, since his mother's maiden name was Simpson.

Image source: United States Military Academy

Graduates from West Point

Jul 1, 1843

Grant graduated 21st out of 39 cadets in the Class of 1843. Though unremarkable academically, he excelled in horsemanship and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry.

Serves with distinction in the Mexican-American War

May 13, 1846 - Feb 2, 1848

As a junior officer under Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, Grant fought in major battles including Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterrey, and Vera Cruz. The war provided invaluable combat experience that would shape his Civil War leadership, though he privately considered it an unjust conflict.

Image source: Mexican–American War

Serves with distinction in the Mexican-American War

Marries Julia Dent

Aug 22, 1848

Grant married Julia Boggs Dent, the daughter of a Missouri slaveholding family, after a long courtship interrupted by the Mexican-American War. Their marriage endured for decades through hardship and produced four children.

Image source: Julia Grant

Resigns from the Army amid rumors of drinking problems

Apr 11, 1854

Stationed far from his family at Fort Humboldt, California, Grant resigned his commission in 1854, reportedly due to struggles with alcohol. He then faced years of failure as a farmer in Missouri and a real estate agent and clerk in St. Louis and Galena, Illinois.

Civil War Career

Appointed colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry

Jun 17, 1861

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant helped recruit volunteers in Galena, Illinois. Governor Richard Yates appointed him colonel of the unruly 21st Illinois regiment, which he quickly whipped into disciplined shape, launching his remarkable wartime ascent.

Image source: 21st Illinois Infantry Regiment

Promoted to brigadier general by President Lincoln

Aug 7, 1861

With backing from Congressman Elihu Washburne, Grant was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in August 1861. He took command of the District of Cairo, positioning himself at the strategic junction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Image source: Brigadier general (United States)

Captures Fort Henry

Feb 6, 1862

In cooperation with Union gunboats under Flag Officer Andrew Foote, Grant captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, securing the first significant Union victory in the western theater and opening Tennessee to invasion.

Image source: Battle of Fort Henry

Captures Fort Donelson and earns nickname 'Unconditional Surrender'

Feb 16, 1862

After intense fighting, Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner requested terms; Grant replied demanding 'unconditional and immediate surrender,' earning him the nickname 'Unconditional Surrender' Grant. Roughly 12,000 Confederates were captured, delivering a massive boost to Northern morale.

Image source: Battle of Fort Donelson

Fights the bloody Battle of Shiloh

Apr 6, 1862 - Apr 7, 1862

Confederate forces under Albert Sidney Johnston launched a surprise attack on Grant's army near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. Despite nearly being driven into the river on the first day, Grant counterattacked on April 7 and won a costly victory with over 23,000 total casualties, the bloodiest battle in American history up to that time.

Image source: Battle of Shiloh

Begins the Vicksburg Campaign

Mar 29, 1863 - Jul 4, 1863

Grant conducted one of the most brilliant campaigns of the war, running gunboats past Vicksburg's batteries, crossing the Mississippi south of the city, winning five victories in three weeks, and besieging Pemberton's army until its surrender on July 4, 1863, giving the Union control of the Mississippi River and splitting the Confederacy.

Image source: Vicksburg campaign

Breaks the siege at Chattanooga

Nov 23, 1863 - Nov 25, 1863

Placed in overall command in the West, Grant relieved the besieged Union army at Chattanooga, driving Braxton Bragg's Confederates from Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, opening the gateway to the Deep South and cementing his reputation as the North's premier general.

Image source: Chattanooga campaign

Promoted to lieutenant general and named General-in-Chief

Mar 9, 1864

Reviving the rank last held by George Washington, Congress authorized the promotion and Lincoln appointed Grant General-in-Chief of all Union armies. Grant established headquarters with the Army of the Potomac and devised coordinated offensives against all Confederate forces simultaneously.

Image source: General-in-chief

Launches the Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee

May 5, 1864 - Jun 24, 1864

Grant waged relentless, grinding combat against Lee's Army of Northern Virginia through the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor. Sustaining enormous casualties but refusing to retreat, he pinned Lee's army and set the stage for the siege of Petersburg, declaring he would 'fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.'

Image source: Overland Campaign

Launches the Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee

Begins the Siege of Petersburg

Jun 15, 1864 - Apr 2, 1865

Grant's forces entrenched around Petersburg, Virginia, conducting trench warfare reminiscent of World War I while extending lines westward to cut Lee's supply routes. After nine months, the Union breakthrough in April 1865 forced Lee to abandon both Petersburg and Richmond.

Image source: Siege of Petersburg

Accepts Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House

Apr 9, 1865

At Appomattox Court House, Virginia, Grant accepted the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. His generous terms—allowing paroled soldiers to keep horses and go home—set a conciliatory tone for reunion, effectively ending the American Civil War.

Image source: Battle of Appomattox Court House

Presidency

Elected 18th President of the United States

Nov 3, 1868

Running under the banner 'Let Us Have Peace,' Grant defeated Democrat Horatio Seymour in the 1868 election, winning the popular vote by about 300,000 votes thanks largely to the votes of newly enfranchised Black men in the South.

Image source: 1868 United States presidential election

Inaugurated as the 18th U.S. President

Mar 4, 1869

Grant was inaugurated on March 4, 1869, becoming the youngest president elected to that point at age 46. He pledged to pursue peace, honorably settle sectional questions, and protect civil rights during Reconstruction.

Image source: First inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant

Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment

Feb 3, 1870

The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited denying the vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Grant championed ratification, calling it 'the greatest civil event' of the century, though enforcement proved uneven across the South.

Image source: Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Signs the Enforcement Acts targeting the Ku Klux Klan

May 31, 1870 - Apr 20, 1871

Grant signed a series of Enforcement Acts empowering the federal government to suppress white supremacist terrorism in the South. In October 1871, he suspended habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina and sent federal troops, crushing the original Klan's power.

Establishes the Department of Justice

Jul 1, 1870

Congress created the Department of Justice at Grant's urging to centralize federal law enforcement, enabling more vigorous prosecution of Ku Klux Klan violence and enforcement of Reconstruction laws.

Image source: United States Department of Justice

Creates Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park

Mar 1, 1872

Grant signed the act establishing Yellowstone National Park, setting aside over two million acres in Wyoming and Montana territories for public enjoyment—a landmark achievement in conservation history.

Image source: Yellowstone National Park

Re-elected president, defeating Horace Greeley

Nov 5, 1872

Grant won re-election in a landslide over Liberal Republican nominee Horace Greeley, carrying 31 states and over 55 percent of the popular vote, aided by continued support from Black voters and the fractured opposition.

Image source: 1872 United States presidential election

Panic of 1873 triggers a severe economic depression

Sep 18, 1873

The failure of banking house Jay Cooke & Company sparked a financial panic that plunged the nation into the Long Depression. Grant's response, including vetoing an inflationary currency bill in 1874, was praised by conservatives but drew criticism from debtors and farmers suffering through years of hardship.

Image source: Panic of 1873

Whiskey Ring scandal erupts within his administration

May 10, 1875

Treasury officials and distillers were exposed for defrauding the government of millions in liquor tax revenue. Grant moved decisively to prosecute the conspirators, famously saying 'Let no guilty man escape,' but the scandal deepened perceptions of corruption surrounding his administration.

Image source: Whiskey Ring

Whiskey Ring scandal erupts within his administration

Ends the presidency after eight years

Mar 4, 1877

Grant left office after two terms, having achieved successes in foreign policy, civil rights enforcement, and conservation, but burdened by scandals among subordinates. He departed on a celebrated world tour that began later that year.

Image source: Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant

Post-Presidency

Embarks on a two-year world tour

May 17, 1877 - Sep 19, 1879

Grant and Julia traveled extensively through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, meeting Queen Victoria, Emperor Meiji, and other heads of state. The tour restored his popularity at home and made him an international celebrity.

Image source: World tour of Ulysses S. Grant

Death of Ulysses S. Grant at Mount McGregor, New York

Jul 23, 1885

Grant died of throat cancer at age 63 at Mount McGregor, New York, having just completed his memoirs. His state funeral procession in New York City stretched seven miles and was attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners, including former Confederate generals, honoring the man who had reunited the nation.

Image source: Death and state funeral of Ulysses S. Grant

Publishes Personal Memoirs after battling throat cancer

Dec 1885

Facing bankruptcy from the collapse of Grant & Ward and terminal cancer, Grant wrote his memoirs with encouragement from Mark Twain's publisher Charles L. Webster. Completed days before his death, the memoirs sold spectacularly and are considered among the finest military autobiographies ever written.

Image source: Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant

Key Facts

Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio; a clerical error at West Point changed his name to Ulysses S., which he kept.
He rose from a failed businessman and shop clerk before the Civil War to become General-in-Chief of the Union Army, accepting Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
Grant served as the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877, championing Reconstruction, the 15th Amendment, and protections for African American voters.
His administration was marred by corruption scandals, such as the Whiskey Ring, though Grant himself was never personally implicated.
After leaving office, he completed his Personal Memoirs while dying of throat cancer; published by Mark Twain's firm, they became one of the best-selling books of 19th-century America.

Source

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