President Grant, American Hero or Hoax?

President Grant was always a prominent figure in my eyes for various reasons. His image has taken a lot of heat lately with the protests taking place today. Protesters have been demanding and removing confederate statues and any others dealing with hatred against other ethnic groups and racism. The protests continue to be largely unorganized, with frequently changing motives, no set goals or demands, aimless new unorganized groups continue to be formed with no unified goal in mind. The monuments symbolizing prejudices, stereotypes, slavery, white imperialism, confederacy, mass murderers, or any type of ethnic superiority, I agree shouldn’t be displayed anywhere. After all breaking away from the United States and forming “your own” country, with your own separate rules, set of laws, etc, is labeled as "treason". The confederates were beaten, had to re-join the Union and submit to new laws, such as the 13th Amendment which freed the slaves. My opinion, these images should’ve never been glorified in the first place.

President Grant was a top General for the Union (Northern United States during the Civil War), he led several units into the Southern Confederate States during the Civil War, with major victories. Yes, we can bring up that Abraham Lincoln and the main agenda for the US was to maintain the “Union” and keep the United States united as one. President Lincoln’s agenda was never to free any slaves in the US. Lincoln wrote in 1862, “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy Slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.” In addition that same year, President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. This law prohibited slavery in the District, forcing its 900-odd slaveholders to free their slaves, with the government paying former slave owners an average of about $300 (equivalent to $8,000 in 2019) for each slave. Yes former slave owners received reparations!

These were two different agendas, General Grant wanted to abolish slavery as well as preserve the Union, he did not agreed with slavery. There were several instances where General Grant upon defeating confederate forces, allowed the defeated soldiers to return home with their arms, as he saw a larger point of view, which was the confederates re-joining the United States and being united again as Americans. Greater responsibility requires a much broader perspective of intellect and compassion for others. When the confederates would also request to return with their properties, meaning slaves, General Grant would deny these requests, freeing the slaves of their burden. These victories in the Southern states won by General Grant, mostly took place after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, which freed the slaves in certain areas. What most people don’t realize, is the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in confederate, rebellious states, not the border territorial states (such as Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri).

General Grant married Julia Grant who he met in St. Louis, her family was a slave owning family, owning around thirty at the time. Grant’s father-in-law had given Grant one slave in 1857, William Jones. General Grant later freed William Jones in 1859, not supporting slavery and viewing it as morally wrong. Grant never took part in any inhumane treatments of slaves. Grant’s father, Jesse Grant, was a huge abolitionist in Ohio. Jesse would not support his son during the time Grant spent in Missouri around slave owners.

As the Civil War neared its end, the Union found themselves losing to the confederates. Grant, along with many other powerful activists, pushed for all Blacks, including former slaves to be allowed to fight in the Civil War. As Blacks were allowed to join the Union Army, this became a major turning point in the war. After the Union's victory in 1865, this abolishes slavery completely in the United States, by way of the 13th Amendment. Grant under his remaining military time spent several years rebuilding the south, known as “Reconstruction”. Immediately after the war, Blacks across America begin to see massive violence and discrimination against them, for any attempt the former slaves made, to gain access to equal rights under law.

The treatment of American citizens outraged Grant. When Grant became President in 1869, he had learned of the newly created white supremacist group known as the KKK. Reports informed him they were doctors, lawyers, politicians, teachers, and other white collar professionals. Dressed in masks to hide their identities, the KKK brutally terrorized the Black communities. These evil men would murder, use violent rituals (such as lynching, burning crosses in yards, etc), beat people to death, anything they could to strike fear and control over Black communities. During President Grant’s administration he established the 14th and 15th amendments, which were established specifically to gain equal freedoms and protections for Black people across America. The 14th amendment gives all citizens equal protection under law and the 15th amendment gives ALL men of ALL races the right to vote. These laws didn’t deter ex-confederate white supremacists, who would tragically beat and kill any blacks for attempting to vote or exercise any other legal rights, while putting the dead bodies on public display.

During this time President Grant and Frederick Douglass became good friends, Douglass along with other abolitionists, informed and urged President Grant to take action on behalf of these acts. President Grant took action, in 1870 Congress passed the Enforcement Acts, which made it a crime to interfere with registration, voting, office holding, or jury service of Black Americans. In 1871 Congress also passed the Ku Klux Klan Act, which allowed the government to act against terrorist organizations. Which President Grant expanded the Insurrection Act, using "Marshal Law" and the National Guard several times to suppress the KKK. Grant infiltrated the terrorist group and ordered the arrest of hundreds of Klan members, greatly vanquishing this terrorist group for the rest of his time in office. By Jan. 1, 1872, the Army had detained more than 600 Klansmen, most of them were tried and convicted in federal court. The KKK was later deemed unconstitutional in 1882 by the Supreme Court.

President Grant did more or just as much to protect the civil rights and freedoms of freed Black Americans that any other President has accomplished. Even one of my great heroes, Frederick Douglass stated that “To Grant more than any other man the Negro owes his enfranchisement.” Powerful praise from a former slave and one of the most prominent figures in world history. So as we see the monuments and legacies being tarnished, are they targeting the correct perpetrators? Or acting off of rage, ignorance, and passion without knowledge of the important facts?