
What was Ulysses Grant's first name before West Point?
Prior to enrolling in West Point, Ulysses S. Grant was called Hiram — his real first name – by friends and family (per Constitution Center ). Grant was recommended to attend West Point by Ohio Congressman Thomas Hamer, who mistakenly wrote "Ulysses S. Grant" in his nomination.
Why was Ulysses S Grant's middle initial added to his name?
Grant was recommended to attend West Point by Ohio Congressman Thomas Hamer, who mistakenly wrote "Ulysses S. Grant" in his nomination. The reason why the middle initial was added is lost to time.
How did Hiram Ulysses Grant get his name?
"The Grant family put names in a hat and pulled out the names Hiram and Ulysses. His name was then Hiram Ulysses Grant. HUG.
How did Ulysses get his name?
While he is known all around the world as Ulysses Simpson Grant, historical tales deem how his name was drawn from ballots placed in a hat. His father then declared that the boy should be named Hiram Ulysses to honor his father-in-law.
See 7 key topics from this page & related content
See more

What was Ulysses Grant's first name?
Hiram Ulysses GrantUlysses S. Grant / Full nameUlysses wasn't his real first name. Hiram Ulysses Grant was stuck with the name Ulysses S. Grant due to a mistake by a benefactor on his application form to West Point.
Why was Grant named Hiram?
His name was picked out of a hat Apparently Grants father, Jesse, wanted to honour his father-in-law who had suggested the name “Hiram”, and so he was named “Hiram Ulysses Grant”. On his recommendation to the United States Military Academy at West Point, Congressman Thomas Hamer wrote “Ulysses S.
How did Ulysses get his name?
The name was made more famous in modern times by the American Civil War hero and eighteenth president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, by James Joyce's novel Ulysses, and the film of the same name....Ulysses (given name)GenderMasculineOriginWord/nameLatin form of OdysseusMeaning"Wrathful"Other names2 more rows
What was Ulysses S. Grant's nickname during the Civil War?
Unconditional Surrender GrantThe Battle of Fort Donelson earned Grant the nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant.” Ulysses S. Grant went to West Point, graduating in the middle of his class. At the beginning of the Civil War, he was working in his father's leather store but took command of a volunteer regiment.
Who called Grant a butcher?
That assault, labeled "Pickett's Charge," cost Lee's forces approximately 6,000 men. Yet, that charge has been romanticized and remembered more favorably, and is part of the lore of the fallen Confederacy. Meanwhile, Grant's assault gave him the moniker "The Butcher."
Who was the better General Grant or Lee?
The question has intrigued historians and armchair strategists since the Civil War itself. Lee is usually accounted the superior commander. He scored outrageous victories against the Army of the Potomac up until Gettysburg 1863, fighting against superior numbers and better supplied troops.
What is Ulysses other name?
Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature.
What does Ulysses mean in English?
Definitions of Ulysses. (Roman mythology) Roman spelling for Odysseus. example of: mythical being. an imaginary being of myth or fable.
What does Ulysses mean in the Bible?
Ulysses is actually the Latin equivalent of the Greek Odysseus (the mythological hero of Homer's Odyssey) meaning "the one who is wrathful or hated". But here's a little known fact for you: Grant's birth name was actually Hiram Ulysses Grant (Hiram is from the Hebrew meaning "exalted brother").
Was Ulysses S. Grant a good guy?
Every President presents historians with some contradictions, but Grant might do so more than most. He was quiet and soft-spoken but able to inspire great bravery from his soldiers on the battlefield. He was an honorable man who was unable or unwilling to see dishonor in others.
What was Ulysses S. Grant famous quote?
Ulysses Grant Quotes “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who have helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.” “In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten.
How many stars did Ulysses Grant have?
General Ulysses S. Grant (of American Civil War fame) was given the rank of "General of the Army of the United States" by the U.S. Congress on July 25th, 1866. He wore the rank insignia with four stars and was reportedly never addressed by this title.
What does the E stand for in Robert E Lee?
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general who served the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War, during which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army.
Who is Ulysses S. Grant related to?
Ulysses, Julia and Their Children Ulysses S. Grant was a devoted family man. He and his wife Julia had four children and were fortunate not to lose any of them to an early death, as was so often in the case in those days of untreatable diseases and lack of medical care we take for granted today.
Why did Ulysses S. Grant not feel rejoicing?
Why did Ulysses S. Grant not feel like rejoicing? He didn't revel in fighting a brother who whole heartedly believed their cause.
Who were Ulysses S. Grant's children?
Ulysses S. Grant Jr.Jesse Root GrantNellie GrantFrederick Dent GrantUlysses S. Grant/ChildrenThey had four children: Frederick, Ulysses Jr. ("Buck"), Ellen ("Nellie"), and Jesse.
Who was Ulysses Grant's father?
Grant's father wrote to Representative Thomas L. Hamer requesting that he nominate Ulysses to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York. Despite political differences with Jesse Root Grant, Hamer, a Democrat, nominated his 17-year-old son to West Point in spring 1839. Grant was accepted on July 1, although he doubted his academic abilities. Hamer, unfamiliar with Grant, submitted an incorrect name to West Point. On September 14 Grant was enlisted Cadet "U.S. Grant" at the national academy. His nickname at West Point became "Sam" among army colleagues since the initials "U.S." also stood for " Uncle Sam ".
Where did Ulysses Grant go to school?
At the age of five, Ulysses began his formal education, starting at a subscription school and later in two private schools. In the winter of 1836–1837, Grant was a student at Maysville Seminary, and in the autumn of 1838, he attended John Rankin 's academy.
What was Grant's main army?
Grant's main army was located at Pittsburg Landing, while 40,000 Confederate troops converged at Corinth, Mississippi. Brigadier General William Tecumseh Sherman assured Grant that his green troops were ready for an attack. Grant agreed and wired Halleck with their assessment. Grant wanted to attack the Confederates at Corinth, but Halleck ordered him not to attack until Major General Don Carlos Buell arrived with his division of 25,000. Meanwhile, Grant prepared for an attack on the Confederate army of roughly equal strength. Instead of preparing defensive fortifications between the Tennessee River and Owl Creek, and clearing fields of fire, they spent most of their time drilling the largely inexperienced troops while Sherman dismissed reports of nearby Confederates.
How did Hamilton Fish and Grant settle the Alabama claims?
Secretary of State Hamilton Fish and Grant successfully settled the Alabama Claims by treaty and arbitration.
How did Grant get along with Johnson?
Despite differing styles, Grant got along cordially with Johnson and attended cabinet meetings concerning Reconstruction. By February 1866, the relationship began to break down. Johnson opposed Grant's closure of the Richmond Examiner for disloyal editorials and his enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, passed over Johnson's veto. Needing Grant's popularity, Johnson took Grant on his " Swing Around the Circle " tour, a failed attempt to gain national support for lenient policies toward the South. Grant privately called Johnson's speeches a "national disgrace" and he left the tour early. On March 2, 1867, overriding Johnson's veto, Congress passed the first of three Reconstruction Acts, using military officers to enforce the policy. Protecting Grant, Congress passed the Command of the Army Act, preventing his removal or relocation, and forcing Johnson to pass orders through Grant.
What was Grant's life like in 1854?
It was the beginning of seven years of financial struggles, poverty, and instability. Grant's father offered him a place in the Galena, Illinois, branch of the family's leather business, but demanded Julia and the children stay in Missouri, with the Dents, or with the Grants in Kentucky. Grant and Julia declined the offer. Grant farmed (for the next four years ), using Julia's slave Dan, on his brother-in-law's property, Wish-ton-wish, near St. Louis. The farm was not successful and to earn an alternate living he sold firewood on St. Louis street corners.
How did Grant strike at Lee?
To strike at Lee in a timely capacity Grant was forced to use what resources were immediately available, and they were diminished by the day. Grant had to commit badly needed troops to check Confederate General Jubal Early 's raids in the Shenandoah Valley and who was getting dangerously close to the Potomac River, and Washington. By late July, at Petersburg, Grant reluctantly approved a plan to blow up part of the enemy trenches from a tunnel filled with many tons of gunpowder. The massive explosion created a crater, 170 feet across and 30 feet deep, killing an entire Confederate regiment in an instant. The poorly led Union troops under Major General Burnside and Brigadier General Ledlie, rather than encircling the crater, rushed forward and poured directly into it, which was widely deemed a mistake. Recovering from the surprise, Confederates, led by Major General William Mahone, surrounded the crater and easily picked off Union troops within it. The Union's 3,500 casualties outnumbered the Confederates' by three-to-one. The battle marked the first time that Union-colored troops, who endured a large proportion of the casualties, engaged in any major battle in the east. Grant admitted that the overall mining tactic had been a "stupendous failure".
Why did Grant change his name?
The cause of Grant’s name change is famously known as the result of the actions of Pennsylvania U.S. Representative Thomas Hamer, who erroneously nominated the future president to West Point as “Ulysses” instead of “Hiram.”
How old was Hiram when he became Ulysses?
As such, Hiram became Ulysses in 1839 when Grant was 17 years old.
Why did Lawrence O'Donnell chastinate Romney and Perry?
A few days before the second Florida debate, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell playfully chastised Romney and Perry for abandoning their birth names, and tried to make the case that Romney would not be less electable if he went by “Willard.” His reasoning:
How many presidents did not go by their birth name?
However, the actual tally is seven presidents who did not go by their birth name, of which five of these were known by their middle name.
Did Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford have different names?
It is also well known that Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton were both born with different names.
Did Mitt Romney say Rick Perry was not being forthright about his views on Social Security?
In one of their more memorable exchanges during last Thursday’s Republican presidential debate in Florida, Mitt Romney suggested Rick Perry was not being forthright about his true views about the constitutionality of Social Security as laid out in his recent book, and quipped the Texas governor “Better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that.”
Why is Ulysses Simpson Grant called Hiram?
His father then declared that the boy should be named Hiram Ulysses to honor his father-in-law. People would always call him Ulysses and in the documentary, it is shown how his name became a subject ...
Who played Ulysses S Grant?
Justin Salinger as Ulysses S Grant (History Channel) Who was Ulysses S Grant, the 18th president of the United States? Born into a humble family of abolitionists, he was called many things — from a war hero to a bloody butcher and a reluctant politician — but there is still much confusion around his real name.
What did people call Ulysses?
People would always call him Ulysses and in the documentary, it is shown how his name became a subject of mockery in school and his mates would call him "useless" instead of Ulysses. Not just that, his name and his initials went on to inspire many more fascinating nicknames.
What is Uncle Sam's nickname?
When he was in the military, his close ones started calling him United States Grant and Uncle Sam Grant using his initials "US". Soon, Sam was the most known nickname among his colleagues. Pointing out how the miniseries did not talk about his early name Hiram, many viewers posted out the error.
When will Grant's miniseries air?
Peeping into the life and history of Grant, the miniseries will premiere on Memorial Day and air over three consecutive nights beginning Monday, May 25, at 9 pm ET on History Channel. If you have an entertainment scoop or a story for us, please reach out to us on (323) 421-7515. Copy to Clipboard.
