Grant

With the Civil War conclusively over, Grant was charged with decommissioning the army. Although Grant wanted to live in Philadelphia, he resided in Washington, DC. Grant and Julia still accepted gifts from wealthy businessmen, which they saw as “recompense for war heroes” (546). There were yet no fixed rules against gifts like the ones Grant was receiving. Julia became a prominent Washington, DC hostess. As for politics, President Johnson approached the Reconstruction erratically and “would swing from excessive hostility toward the South to excessive leniency” (548). However, Grant avoided pushing for specific Reconstruction policies during President Johnson’s cabinet meetings unless it involved military matters. Grant noted that, while Johnson had presented himself as the champion of poor whites, he now wanted to “emulate” (549) the southern plantation class. Johnson was especially motivated by his “openly racist views” and tendency to “side with white supremacists” (550). As a result, Johnson’s plan for Reconstruction was to restore citizenship rights to any Southerner who pledged allegiance to the United States; that the states would be governed by provisional governors who would oversee the drafting of new state constitutions; that only white men will be allowed to vote when elections in the South resume; and to generously grant pardons to former Confederates.