MAKING HISTORY COME ALIVE CONITINUES WITH THE GILDED AGE: PRESIDENT GRANT'S GILDED AGE BY MICHAEL LEIBRANDT
President Grant’s Gilded Age.
How the Civil War Hero Played a Vital Part in America’s Gilded Age.
Washington, DC — The American Gilded Age — that period of approximately twenty years that combined incredible wealth excess with intense political corruption was deeply influenced by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.
Grant — whose parents arrived in America in 1630 — came from a family of American War battlefield war heroes. His Grandfather fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolution. His Great-Grandfather was a veteran of the French and Indian War campaign.
Ulysses S. Grant graduated from West Point on June 30, 1843. He would forever tell others that his two favorite days were the ones when he left West Point and the White House.
Like many American during the Mexican American War, Grant had distinguished military Service. Grant served as an Assistant Quartermaster, learning both logistics and supply routes. He demonstrated bravery by riding on the side of his horse carrying dispatches and at the Battle of San Cosme, Grant directed that a disassembled Howitzer cannon into a church steeple and utilized it to bombard Mexican troops.
A Union Commander and Civil War Hero, Grant was promoted by Lee to Lieutenant General, and would ultimately accept Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse in April of 1865.
In 1868 — having lost confidence in Andrew Johnson’s Administration — Grand accepted the Republican nomination for President of the United States and would serve two terms winning in both 1868 and 1872.
President Ulysses S. Grant had a profound effect on the Gilded Age. Here is why:
One factor in the rise of the Gilded Age was the disproportionate power relationship between US President’s of the mid-1800s and the US Congress. That is to say that American President’s were relatively weak from a power perspective compared to the power of Congress at the time. And with the relaxed economic policies of period — which allowed some in the country to leverage corruption amid increased speculation.
President Grant strived to have the nation’s currency stabilized by having it backed by gold. During the American Civil War the Federal Government printed paper money with no backing. All that was behind the currency was “faith” in the US Federal Government.
Grant’s Presidency began the Gilded Age. The interconnection between business and politics equated to a greed and corruption of the day that graced the headlines of daily newspapers.
The Gilded Age (named by Grant’s friend Mark Twain) —
Had President Ulysses S. Grant at its heart