When Ulysses S. Grant was elected, it was during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. Grant being a beloved war hero was setup for success by a republican controlled congress which he had a strong connection with. His domestic and foreign policy although not widely successful would shape our country in the years following his presidency.
Grant had decided to rebuild the South instead of punish them for their actions during war. However, Grant struggled due to the fact he now had to balance reconstruction with the protection of the newly freed African American community. While initially successful, he quickly met harsh resistance and often had to use the army and federal legislation to protect the black community according to the Miller …show more content…
Grant had looked at setting up a Naval base in the Caribbean. Congress wanted to support the rebels in Cuba fighting for independence from Spain. Grant however, was hesitant because he did not want to risk a war with Spain. Congress then decided to purchase Cuba but with no luck left it to the Spanish. Grant then turned his attention to Santo Domingo which had the all the necessary to resources to support a base. Grant sent his secretary there to evaluate for the possibility of annexing the island. When Grant purposed the annexation to Congress a man whom he considered an ally, Charles Summers spoke out against it. Congress then sent its own evaluation team to conduct its own evaluation of the island. Finally deemed suitable for annexation the public opposed annexation and thus the issue dropped from Congress. With his many failures of foreign policy the one success Grant had was the Treaty of Washington. The treaty dealt with the British disruption of American shipping which prolonged the war and ultimately Brittan agreed to pay the United States 15.5 million in recompense according to the Miller Center. Grant’s polices both foreign and domestic received crippling criticism which hindered his progress on many