![]() Ratings of presidents nearly always place Grant near, or even at, the bottom. One does not have to portray him as among the greatest of presidents to recognize that the reconsideration of Grant's presidency was shamefully long in coming. The facts of his administration clearly demonstrate otherwise. Nevertheless, despite the reconsideration underway, other historians, along with political scientists, still tend to view him as politically naive, and to portray President Grant as passive, and as a tool of Congress. In fact, by reflecting gross misunderstanding of the Grant presidency, a misunderstanding deliberately fostered by long-ago misrepresentations, the conventional wisdom is worse than merely incorrect. It is time to replace the caricature with an accurate representation.Ī number of recent studies by Grant scholars have demonstrated that the common view of the 18th president is incorrect. It has resulted primarily from a naive acceptance of comments from hostile "reformers" of Grant's day, and from deliberate misrepresentations by Southern vindicators seeking to diminish the Union cause, and ignore the role of slavery. The misconception nevertheless continues. Recent scholarship shows instead that Grant was a good president certainly a strong one. "Hopelessly naive," "passive," "subservient to Congress," are frequent descriptions. He also executed a successful foreign policy and was responsible for improving Anglo-American relations.Until recently, the consensus has been that Grant, so brilliant in warfare, was a failure as president. Still, in the areas of Native American policy, civil service reform, and African American rights, he took steps that few had attempted. ![]() He was a natural leader on the battlefield but was not an especially effective leader of his country. He was such a successful general that his failings as President seem hard to comprehend. ![]() Ultimately, President Grant remains somewhat of an enigma in American history. And his loyalty to those who served him prevented him from ruthlessly purging his administration of ineffective or corrupt politicians. He believed that his more straightforward approach was superior but his inability or unwillingness to play the political game led him to become involved with people of an unsavory reputation. Grant's disdain for politics might be responsible for some of the corruption in his administration. Still, his inability to clean up his own administration was a blight on his presidential record. Despite the scandals that arose during his tenure, Grant was never personally involved with any of them, and his honesty and personal integrity were never questioned. The Grant administration was also routinely labeled one of the most corrupt in U.S. Ultimately much of the country abandoned African Americans to segregation and discrimination but Grant was not responsible for that failure. He worked hard to ensure the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and tried to make it possible for blacks to vote. He fought to protect the rights of African Americans more than any other nineteenth-century President. Only more recently have historians begun to appreciate Grant's commitment to African Americans. For many years, his presidency was viewed against the backdrop of Southern resentment toward Reconstruction. Nevertheless, Grant's motives and efforts as President were admirable and noteworthy. Congress, especially the Senate, had seized the reins of power, and the presidency would not regain its stature until the turn of the twentieth century. The Grant years finished what the Johnson years had begun: a significant weakening of the American presidency. At the same time, he did not really understand politics, which hindered his effectiveness as President, and he believed in the supremacy of the legislative branch. He came into office wanting to serve all the American people and was determined to avoid party politics. Grant left the White House in 1877, admitting in a remarkable farewell address to Congress that it had been his "misfortune to be called to the Office of Chief Executive without any political training" and apologizing for his "errors of judgment." Perhaps some of Grant's troubles as President are related to his disdain for politics.
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