Why was Grant put in charge of the Union Army?

President Lincoln wanted a commanding general who would take initiative and responsibility and act independently, freeing Lincoln from having to make military decisions. Grant was happy to oblige. He quickly put his senior command in place and set his basic strategy.

Why did Lincoln appoint Grant as general?

Lincoln preferred to promote then-Commanding General Henry Halleck to lead the Union Army, which had been plagued by a string of ineffective leaders and terrible losses in battle. Well-respected by troops and civilians, Grant earned Lincoln’s trust and went on to force the South’s surrender in 1865.

Who did Grant support during the Civil War?

In 1865, as commanding general, Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Armies to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War. As an American hero, Grant was later elected the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877), working to implement Congressional Reconstruction and to remove the vestiges of slavery.

Was Grant and Lincoln friends?

Grant. President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant didn’t meet often in person. But their mutual respect and trust grew deep over the final year of the Civil War as they together steered America and its armies through the most convulsive period in the nation’s history.

What did Grant do after the Civil War?

After the war he became a national hero, and the Republicans nominated him for president in 1868. A primary focus of Grant’s administration was Reconstruction, and he worked to reconcile the North and South while also attempting to protect the civil rights of newly freed black slaves.

Who were the generals before Grant?

Ulysses S. Grant
Vice President	Schuyler Colfax (1869–1873) Henry Wilson (1873–1875) None (1875–1877)
Preceded by	Andrew Johnson
Succeeded by	Rutherford B. Hayes
Commanding General of the U.S. Army

What happened to Grant after the Civil War?

After the Civil War, Grant was given his final promotion of General of the Armed Forces in 1866 and served until 1869. Grant’s popularity as a Union war general enabled him to be elected two terms as the 18th President of the United States.

Did Grant ever meet Lincoln?

President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant didn’t meet often in person. But their mutual respect and trust grew deep over the final year of the Civil War as they together steered America and its armies through the most convulsive period in the nation’s history.