Family
Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio, the first of six children born to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant. The Grant family traces its American roots to the earliest days of colonization. Grant’s ancestors, Matthew and Priscilla Grant, came to the Massachusetts colony in 1630 aboard the ship Mary and John. They helped to settle the towns of Dorchester, Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut.
Jesse Root Grant emerged from poverty to become owner of successful leather goods stores in Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky. He taught his son Hiram that slavery was wrong and needed to be phased out, and that his Southern relatives "had depended too much on slave labor to be trained in self-reliance." Grant’s choice to marry into the slaveholding Dent family significantly worsened tensions with his father, and none of the Grants attended Ulysses and Julia’s wedding.
![Grant, Mrs. U.S. and son (Jesse) and daughter (Nellie) also her father Mr. Dent](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E1959BB0-F890-2833-779FDEF0C4BBCC78.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Library of Congress, Brady-Handy photograph collection, LC-DIG-cwpbh-04778
![(Carte-de-Visite, Grant and Family)](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E4AC2749-932C-662A-D4D382AF04CD6A73.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7925
![General Grant's Mother](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/786A1318-E631-92D3-B33EF4A3C0807FB4.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7765
![(General Grant & his family)](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E179E6C7-B98F-1AE2-F27BD58F3CDFE6CA.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Library of Congress, LC-DIG-pga-12564
![ULSG_8291_Julia-Dent-Grant-CDV_2 Julia Dent Grant Cabinet Card](/subjects/ulyssesgrantexhibit/images/ULSG_8291_Julia-Dent-Grant-CDV_2_1.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site, ULSG 8291
Julia Dent Grant
Julia Boggs Dent Grant (1826 – 1902) was the fifth child of "Colonel" Frederick Fayette Dent and Ellen Dent. Her father grew up in a wealthy family on a slave plantation in Cumberland, Maryland. He later owned White Haven, the 800-acre plantation with 70 enslaved individuals in Saint Louis County, Missouri where Julia was raised. As a young girl, Julia enjoyed outdoor activities such as horseback riding and playing with the enslaved children at White Haven. She attended the Gravois School and the Mauro Boarding School for seven years with other young daughters of wealthy families in the area. In February 1844 Julia met Ulysses S. Grant, a friend and classmate of her older brother, Frederick. After his first visit to White Haven, Grant returned often to court Julia. He proposed that May with his West Point class ring before deploying in the Mexican-American War, delaying their wedding by four years. Ulysses and Julia had an intense correspondence during this period. Ulysses and Julia Grant were married for 37 years and raised four children: Frederick, Ulysses Jr. (“Buck”), Ellen (“Nellie”), and Jesse. Julia provided her children with daily lessons in addition to their formal schooling.
![Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E1FA62CA-D2E1-3B72-DDE444DA20AE087E.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-25791
![Cabinet card, Julia Dent Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E21C1528-B0C7-C26E-9593BDD036E49E2C.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7902
![Mrs. Lieut. Gen. Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E20A41FC-E49A-5963-4E79835A4504F417.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Library of Congress, Marian S. Carson Collection, LC-DIG-stereo-1s08331
![Frederick Dent and Ellen Dent](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/0D71E4FF-F2FD-2366-AF4DA8A12AD0220C.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7577
![Grand reception of the notabilities of the nation, at the White House 1865](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E27090F1-CD9F-119A-217CE52B2D5214C9.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsc-03937
![Ivory sewing case with JDG initials in black](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/15F54679-9E51-D8E1-7B7BDBE0C2216D1E.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S. Grant Home, Galena, Illinois, GG70.01.03
![Ulysses S. Grant's Cigar Holder](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E2A4A38E-B74B-6420-BA0575EBE646D390.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S. Grant Home, GG70.01.04
![Silver Coffee Service](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/0D9FA752-CB90-E5AE-4394BA82D2BFF0CD.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7529a-d
![Letter from Ulysses S Grant to Julia Dent Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/0D8A5B84-D413-97E6-97CF1C0A437EE547.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 919
![Document Case](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/16BC9260-E67D-241F-2ACF83D8657F8B10.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7800
![Pair of brown leather boots with gold heels](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/176743CE-A8BE-2D46-041711E6FBFF6E4E.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7528
![Mallet from Grant Leather Shop 2 2 Brown Mallet](/subjects/museums/images/Wooden-Mallet-from-Grant-Leather-Shop-Galena-IL_1.png)
Ulysses S. Grant Home, Galena, Illinois, GG74.08.01
Galena State Historic Sites - IDNR
Civilian Work
In 1854, Grant resigned his commission in the U.S. Army and returned to Julia and his children at White Haven. He found it difficult to find steady work, and did several short-lived odd jobs. These included roadside firewood salesman, customhouse clerk, engineer for Saint Louis County, and real estate agent. As Grant struggled to find permanent employment, he worked alongside enslaved people at White Haven and at Hardscrabble, his cabin built on the property. Amid growing financial troubles, Grant's father offered him a clerk position at Grant and Perkins, the family leather goods store in Galena, Illinois. Grant, Julia, and their children moved to Galena in May 1860, where they stayed until he reenlisted at the outbreak of the Civil War.
![Historic photograph of Grant & Perkins Leather Store](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/4912E0B4-BFE0-932F-195B66BDF810924B.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S. Grant Home, Galena, Illinois, GE75.08.02 Galena State Historic Sites - IDNR
![J.R. Grant Leather Shop Invoice](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/4933591E-EE5E-01CC-75B619121507D855.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S. Grant Home, Galena, Illinois, GE73.01.01 Galena State Historic Sites - IDNR
![LOC-pnp-ppmsca-58200-58230v Gen. U.S. Grant writing his memoirs, Mount McGregor](/subjects/ulyssesgrantexhibit/images/LOC-pnp-ppmsca-58200-58230v_1.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-58230
Retirement
After retiring from public office in 1877, Ulysses and Julia Grant spent time with family in Galena, St. Louis, and other cities before embarking on a world tour. They settled in New York City to be closer to their children after returning from the tour in 1879, despite wanting to live at White Haven. They periodically visited White Haven, with their last visit in 1883. Prior to 1884, Grant traveled frequently, visited family, and pursued business interests such as investment banking and serving as president of the Mexican Southern Railroad.
Ferdinand Ward, a business partner of Grant’s son Ulysses, Jr., swindled Grant out of all his money in 1884. This blow, coupled with a large loan from William Vanderbilt, left Grant in a precarious position. Grant repaid the loan by giving Vanderbilt most of his personal items and White Haven. In addition to this financial disaster, Grant, an avid cigar smoker, was diagnosed with throat cancer that same year.
![Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant](/subjects/ulyssesgrantexhibit/images/ULSG_7979_Personal-memoirs-of-U_2.png)
Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site, ULSG 7979
![General Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E4649427-08D3-3F51-7313C64F5862937B.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7680
![Mourning Brooch](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/85A8F431-D1DE-225A-40D84DACDCDEFC86.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7530
![Letter from Ulysses S Grant to William Elrod](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E43E7199-AA78-F34F-BF51B3166238DFE5.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 8807
![The Death of General Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E44A67E4-0570-F533-8EE7D0AB018EE5DD.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7610f
![The Funeral of U. S. Grant](/common/uploads/grid_builder/ulyssesgrantexhibit/crop16_9/E455AA26-EE89-B0FF-C2B373349D9D2349.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Ulysses S Grant NHS, ULSG 7610b
Last updated: July 12, 2022