Description: Ulysses S. Grant was an American paradox. A failed businessman, he became a brilliant military strategist whose destruction of a defiant South gained him the label "butcher." Elected president in 1868, Grant lacked the skill to deal with reconstruction and the nation's economy. His two terms were rocked by racial conflict and corruption scandals. Financially ruined, Grant spent his final days battling cancer to finish his war memoirs
Superb Portrait of a True American Icon I watched this on the heels of Ken Burns' Civil War. This documentary takes an in depth approach to reveal Grant's role as a soldier and later as President. Often dismissed as a drunkard and a simpleton, this film offers a new look at Grant, and one that seems to be more honest. One of the things I found so compelling about this film as that it doesn't gloss over Grant's failings to emphasize his triumphs. It is a very well-rounded look at his life.
As a solider and general, Grant was tenacious with a keen mind that was often unappreciated in his time. Grant made his share of mistakes, but he was the only general in the North that could maneuver with Lee. Grant earned the respect of Lee, who had totally out-generaled Grant's predecessors. One of the things that struck me about Grant was his willingness to admit to and learn from his mistakes on the battlefield.
As President, Grant took office during an especially turbulent time. The film details his struggles with the issues of African-American equality and Southern violence towards blacks, while trying to reshape the U.S. as a single nation. He also had to deal with scandals involving members of his administration. Despite some of his missteps, Grant would win a second term.
Throughout the film, Grant's family life is given as much prominence as his military and political achievements. He was very close to his wife and children, holding their company and support above all else. His early childhood and relationships with his own parents and his in-laws are also given discussion.
In the years following his Presidency, Grant would time and again succeed and fail in business and other enterprises. In the end, what remains on display is the man's sheer willpower, as he races against time to complete his memoirs before throat cancer claims his life. This seems to be the main thrust of the documentary, that Grant was the perfect example of the average American during his time. A simple man, intelligent, but not always in ways you could see. Courageous, driven by a desire to succeed and prosper, even if he didn't always do so. Grant was a remarkable man and this was a worthy treatment of his life.
Taking A Second Look At Grant Grant is one of the most confusing figures in our American History, because he was so conflicted as a man. Here is why:
*He comes from a family that was against slavery, but marries a woman who owned slaves. *In 1861, he wrote his father a letter expressing no desire to help blacks but freed a slave he owned, rather than selling him and making a quick $1,000, even though he was broke and needed the money. *He was a complete failure in life, until the time (the War) came when being a failure wouldn't do. *He defeats all the odds and becomes a great general and a so-so President (his administration is rocked with scandals and racial unrest) and when he dies, he is back to where he started prior to 1861.
Despite all of this, I came away respecting the man after watching this DVD. Why? Because he was a fighter, he reinvented himself, and no other white man in the 19th century (except for Lincoln) came close to wanting to solve the race problem and bring Americans closer.
Grant was not a saint when it came to race, but he believed (after the war) that America must hold its promise to all people (regardless of race). He tried, really tried to keep his promise to the black race but politics, the North's boredom, and the South's racism got in the way. It will take another 80 years before another president would send federal troops to the South and finish the job of Lincoln/Grant.
However the most touching part of this video is seeing Grant (suffering with cancer) rushing against time to leave his family financial security. Regardless of what you think about the man, this last deed shows the essence of this man and this DVD makes it clear....Grant was a reasonable man in unreasonable times.
The Clerk Who Rose to Greatness This biography begs for the reconsideration of U.S. Grant as one of the greatest military leader/presidents in our country's history. Talk about the rise of the underdog, how about a failed realtor and store clerk, a bottom-rung West Point grad and a notorious drinking habit to boot? When the biography discloses his natural instincts on horseback and his mathematical mind, I knew he shared the hidden traits of future greatness, like those of Alexander and George Washington.When you fuel your interest in this man by reading his personal memoirs, you will crave more information.He was the first army general to unify the other branches into one assault force, although he admits to scant study of Hardee's strategy manual, the vogue of militarists to that time.What is more telling about the man is how easily he grasped vocal commands, read field charts and decided as facilely as he did his sums.More surprisingly, Grant underated his writing abilities that drew the likes of Mark Twain to be his Boswell. He is probably the humblest man of action to wear a military uniform, altogether placing him in a forgotten time in our nation's history. Imagine a general without sycophants, an entourage of public relations men, who rode alongside his men or in front of them, longing to get back to the quiet life as a math teacher. Those are the humble beginnings to a very remarkable man of uncommon decency and morality that will not be forgotten or underated by this historian.
The Grant You Never Knew After watching numerous DVDs about the Civil War, I became intrigued about Hiram Ulysses Grant. This DVD filled in a lot of gaps and I learned some interesting things about him. In 1821, the American Colonization Society was formed to return blacks to Africa (thus the colony of Liberia). Lincoln gave this concept consideration. What I learned in the DVD was that in his presidency, Grant pushed for the annexation of Hispaniola, not to relocate blacks (and get rid of them), but to give them the option to leave, thus impressing upon white southerners the importance of black people in their labor force and encouraging them to pay better wages and treat their employees better so that they wouldn't relocate to the Caribbean instead. He tried, unsuccessfully, twice to push this through. His efforts to ensure that black Americans were treated fairly (prosecuting KKK members in South Carolina) caused him a lot of grief and contributed to his failed presidency.
His name doesn't ever pop up in discussions of great presidents, and he doesn't seem to be appreciated as an American very much either, or not as much as I think he should.
Buy the video, see what you think.
Doesn't capture Grant's essence, but intriguing Ulysses S. Grant was an extremely difficult man to get to know. He was shy, taciturn and not in the habit of revealing his feelings to many outsiders. It's always been difficult for historians and film makers to accurately portray the man and most often, they have failed in their interpretations. Though the American Experience PBS project is at the apex of historical biography, this one on Grant falls a bit wide of the mark.
Problems abound from the get go: the production is uneven, occasionally plodding and doesn't reveal much of Grant as a human being. Though they take pains to introduce his parents, siblings and give a thorough overview of his childhood, there is something intangible missing. Though he was retiring, Grant was still a vibrantly alive man. He had fierce appetites and had a desire to be somebody. None of this is really explored in the film and it results in massive frustration for the discerning viewer.
The interviews with historians are uneven. Unfortunately, the producers elected to have Geoffrey Perret air his opinions on Grant, none of which are historically valid or interesting. Brooks Simpson and John Simon fare much better, and their views are entertaining and reliable.
Much of the documentary focuses on Grant's Presidency, which is a curious facet of the film. The revisionist aspect of the show reveals USG to have been a much better President than he's given credit for, but the content again induces more questions than it answers.
Grant was a fascinating man with rare depths of emotion and feeling. He's worth getting to know, even though the journey is sometimes a complex experience. That description would sum up this futile attempt to shine a light on the psyche of this remarkable man. Though the film has definite merit, it simply doesn't begin to showcase what an incredible man Grant was. The definitive film of Grant has yet to be made.
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