Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library

Check out this article about the origins of Juneteenth written by two Mississippi State University professors!

Before Juneteenth A firsthand account of freedom’s earliest celebrations

Dr. Aaron Crawford served as an associate editor at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library for a number of years until he became a Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University in 2013.

He will be missed.

Obituary information for Dr. Aaron S. Crawford View Dr. Aaron S. Crawford's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

Grant's World video newsletter from Ulysses S Grant Association, Summer 2024 Chapters:00:00:00 Jim Bultema00:04:43 Anne Marshall00:08:09 Dr. Ryan Semmes00:11:34 Joan Waugh

This Memorial Day, the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library honors the military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces.

Memorial Day, originally known as "Decoration Day" after the Civil War, was established to remember and honor military personnel who died while serving in the United States armed forces.

On May 13, 1881, President James A. Garfield received what he called a "remarkable letter" from former President Ulysses S. Grant. The two men came from different factions of the Republican Party, and Grant had unhappily followed Garfield's nomination of William H. Robertson to be Collector of the Port of New York. This nomination enraged Grant's ally, New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, who opposed Robertson personally but also because Conkling wanted control of all New York patronage appointments.

Wrote Grant to President Garfield: "The Senators from New York were chosen against all the power an administration of their own party could bring to bear...To nominate a man to the most influential position within the gift of the President in their state without consulting them, would be an undeserved slight. To select the most obnoxious man to them in the state is more than a slight...I do claim that I ought not to be humiliated by seeing my personal friends punished for no other offence [sic] than their friendship and support."

Image: Photograph of Ulysses S. Grant (The Library of Congress, loc.gov).

Learn more about President Grant by following our colleagues at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and General Grant National Memorial.

The complete 32-volume hardcover set of The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, edited by John Y. Simon, is now on sale direct from Southern Illinois University Press!

There are 30 full sets available for $15 per volume, an 85% discount off the original cover price.

**This discount is available for complete sets only**

FREE shipping is included with every order for these specially priced books.

Limit 2 sets per customer

The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant - Southern Illinois University Press The complete 32-volume hardcover set of The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, edited by John Y. Simon, is now on sale direct from SIU Press! We have 30 full sets available for $15 per volume, an 85% discount off the original cover price. This discount is available for complete sets only! FREE shipping is....

Happy 202nd Birthday, Ulysses S. Grant!

You don't look a day over 40!

Please join us tomorrow on the Drill Field as we celebrate the birthday of our 18th President, Ulysses S. Grant. Cupcakes will be given out by the
while supplies last. See you there.

Check out this American History Hit podcast episode “President Ulysses S. Grant: The Myth of the Butcher” featuring USGPL Executive Director Dr. Anne E. Marshall!

‎American History Hit: President Ulysses S. Grant: The Myth of the Butcher on Apple Podcasts ‎Show American History Hit, Ep President Ulysses S. Grant: The Myth of the Butcher - Apr 15, 2024

Congratulations on winning Best Small Town in the South, Starkville! We are excited to be highlighted in the article as an example of what makes this town so special!

Best Small Town in the South (2024) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards Choose one of these quaint destinations for your next trip, voted as the 10 best small towns in the South.

We have two more of these in our collections drawn by cadet Ulysses Grant, one drawn by cadet Fred Grant, and a topographical map/chart drawn by US Grant III. The West Point museum has these three excellent examples of cadet Ulysses' drawings.

U.S. Civil War military historian and MSU alumnus Timothy B. Smith will discuss his latest book “Bayou Battles for Vicksburg: The Swamp and River Expeditions, January 1-April 30, 1863” (University Press of Kansas, 2023) during the 6 p.m. event which is free and open to the public. The book is Smith’s fourth in his five-volume history of the Vicksburg Campaign.

Author, historian, MSU alumnus to present lecture, book signing Mississippi State University Libraries is bringing home one of the university’s distinguished alumni for a lecture and book signing on April 4.

We had the pleasure to receive a visit from Howard Lee Martin of Ohio. Howard served as a First Class Seaman in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War.

We thank him for his amazing service to our country!

An excellent opportunity for folks in the St. Louis area:
"Recovering The Lost History of Chinese American Immigration: From Ulysses S. Grant to the Mississippi Delta and St. Louis,"
presented by the UMSL Department of History, UMSL Global, and the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
2 - 6 p.m.
Ulysses. S. Grant National Historic Site Visitor Center
7400 Grant Rd., St. Louis, MO 63123

Recovering the Lost History of Chinese American Immigration | UMSL UMSL is an equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disability and veteran employer and does not discriminate on the basis of s*x in our education programs or activities, pursuant to Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106. For more information, visit our UMSL Statement of Nondiscrimination.

⭐One Star, ⭐⭐Two Star, ⭐⭐⭐Three Star, All Star!!!

in 1864, President Lincoln signs a bill reviving the Army rank of Lieutenant General (three-star general), last held by George Washington, and nominates General Grant for the position.



Image: A portrait of Lt. General U.S. Grant, with the names of battles he participated in on the top and bottom. (Library of Congress)

On May 21, 1864 war photographer Timothy O'Sullivan took a series of photos of Ulysses S. Grant's Council of War during the Overland Campaign. The photos were taken on the upper level of the Massaponax Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Va.

Garry Adelman and Kris White of the American Battlefield Trust break down these historic shots.

Ulysses S. Grant's Council of War | Civil War Then & Now On May 21, 1864 war photographer Timothy O'Sullivan took a series of photos of Ulysses S. Grant's Council of War during the Overland Campaign. The photos wer...

Did you know that Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site operates under a Congressional mandate to discuss not only the lives of General Ulysses S. Grant and his family, but the lives of the many enslaved people who were kept here and forced to work against their will? In other words, we are legally required to discuss slavery as part of our interpretive and educational mission.

While we don't know much about the lives of specific enslaved people, we do know the names of some of the enslaved population at White Haven like William Jones, Mary Robinson, and Mary Henry. For others we might only have first names, or anecdotal stories about them from Julia Dent Grant or other members of her family. Park staff continue to conduct historical research in order to better understand the daily lives and identities of these enslaved workers. By learning more and sharing what we've learned with the public, we do our best to honor their memory.

We take great pride in General Grant and the important work he did as General of the United States Army and President of the United States. We also have an obligation to discuss the lives of the enslaved people who lived here as well as the struggle for Civil Rights which occurred during Reconstruction and during Grant's Presidency. Grant himself wrote in his Personal Memoirs that "The cause of the great War of the Rebellion against the United States will have to be attributed to slavery."

We understand that some of these topics might be at odds with what many of us learned in history classes in school, and that things like slavery, racism, and legal segregation are difficult and even upsetting to talk about. Nonetheless, we take this mission very seriously, and are always open to having good faith dialogues about these challenging topics with our visitors and social media followers.

Image: Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site's foundation statement, which is located in the park Visitor Center. The text reads: "The purpose of Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is to educate and inspire this and future generations about the lives and legacy of Ulysses S. Grant, Julia Dent Grant, the enslaved African-Americans, and other residents by preserving and interpreting White Haven within the context of American history."

February 6, 1858: Jesse Root Grant is born in St. Louis, MO. Jesse, the youngest child of Ulysses and Julia Grant, is named for his paternal grandfather.

Image: Jesse Root Grant II pictured in 1881. (NPS photo)

Happy birthday, Madame First Lady! 🎂

Julia Boggs Dent (later Grant) was born on this day in 1826 in St. Louis, MO; the fifth child and first daughter of Frederick Fayette Dent and Ellen Wrenshall Dent.

Join us this Sunday, January 28 at 2 PM for a talk by Dr. Diana Carlin, St. Louis University professor and author of the new book "Remember the First Ladies," for a talk on Mrs. Grant's legacy. Call (314) 842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations. Dr. Carlin's book will also be available for purchase from our bookstore.

Image: First Lady Julia Dent Grant in an 1876 photo. (Library of Congress)

Dr. Ryan P. Semmes, Director of Research for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library will discuss "The First State Visit" at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library on February 1st at 6pm. Dr. Semmes will present photographs and engravings of the meeting between President Grant and King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. This event will be streamed. See the information below.

Special invitation for members of the Mississippi State Alumni Association!
Join us Thursday, February 1 at 6 p.m. as the Clinton Presidential Center Presents “The First State Visit.” In December of 1874, King Kalākaua of Hawaii became the first foreign leader to visit the White House. President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Grant put on a display of pomp and circumstance that set the bar for future state events.

Dr. Ryan P. Semmes, Director of Research for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, will share fascinating stories and archival records related to that first state visit including a photograph of the Hawaiian delegation from Mrs. Grant’s personal scrapbook. Attendees will also learn about the history of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, how it came to be located on the campus of , and current plans for expansion.

Register here to attend the program in person at the Clinton Presidential Center or to tune in live online. https://forms.clinton-foundation.org/view.php?id=926943

The program is held in conjunction with the current exhibition “Be Our Guest,” which explores some of the memorable diplomatic visits to the White House during the Clinton Administration.

Clinton Presidential Center Presents is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library.