To free a slave when selling the individual could have gotten enough money to help save his family from poverty, but Grant had the conviction and courage to do what he knew was right. This is another facet of courage, to do what is right when what is wrong is so appealing
@@bradgauldin8643 Not only did Lee own slaves, but he also fought in court to keep working slaves from his father-in-law’s estate and personally whipped them. Claims such as casting Lee as an anti-slavery figure are apart of the Lost Cause myth.
During his post war/ post Presidency life his legacy was well respected in his own time. Probably the most popular American alive and extremely well known and admired worldwide. The stains on his legacy come from men who couldn't tie his shoelaces.
When we looked through our history books, his presidency is often considered one of the worst, but when you dig deeper it's not because of anything he himself did. They blame him because he trusted his cabinet and some of his cabinet became evil and greedy men.
the pained resignation but determination when he said “yes” so disappointed by everyone around him and the entire system that refuses to recognize the man standing right next to him. great character portrayal of an even more impressive historical figure.
It’s also the fact that during this moment, Grant was broke, and yet, even with the temptation to sell out (both figuratively and literally), he decides to do the right thing, and stick to his morals.
@@PapaGirth69420And He did it a few weeks before he died while in chronic pain. Grant is a good men and a great father. Sometimes naively so. Hes too good for his own good.
@@jmgonzales7701 Well, Many former slaves themselves were anti mixing, particularly the ones who started Liberia. Keep in mind that the Liberia project was very popular until news of its (relative) failure finally spread around both freed and still enslaved. Southern propagandists exaggerated the severity of the economic disaster to try to discourage further runaways, but it was in reality bad enough. Yes, those who survived have endured, but just barely and with tons of donations over the decades, and it’s hardships are self evident enough that even the most militant black separatists born & raised in the USA prefer to try to have a revolution here than immigrate there, even though the free immigration law for American blacks to Liberia is still on the books.
Reasons why America is blessed. You see these men like Lincoln and Grant appearing at one of the most if not the most heartbreaking period in our nation's history.
@@CalkatProductionsyou made the claim that goes against reality, and the historical record, you need to justify your claim. It would almost be like claiming Biden is our best president and also claiming that most Americans support him. It's a nice political story, but it doesn't jive with reality.
@@uncle_Samssubjects I can give you a bunch of evidence I just wanted to see if you could find a single source to back it up which you couldn’t Here’s one from the Wikipedia article “historical reputation of Ulysses S Grant” “After leaving office in 1877, Grant's reputation soared during his well-publicized diplomatic world tour. Accusations of Grant's alleged excessive drinking hounded him for most of his military and political career, and are still widely believed by the general public. Historians generally agree he drank occasionally but not often. At his death, he was seen as "a symbol of the American national identity and memory",[1] when millions turned out for his funeral procession in 1885.”
Mark Twain helped Grant secure a small fortune for his family by publishing his memoir and giving them most of the proceeds. Grant is also the reason why president after their term(s) are served are guaranteed not to be in poverty afterwards
@@BenKim16No, former president act was passed in 1958. Before that, former presidents were never offered pension funds. I took effect just before president Dwight D eisenhower leave office.
I’m glad this was shown as far too many people make Grant out to be a racist because he had a slave. They conveniently leave out that he was given the slave, he never bought the slave and that he freed the slave because Grant didn’t believe in the institution of slavery
There’s a quote from Grant you might want to study, “if I thought this war was fought over slaves, I would’ve laid down my sword & joined the other side.”
@@richsamuel6722 this quote was in a letter to Lincoln in 1862, “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy Slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.” This quote was written later in a letter to his father, “My inclination is to whip the rebellion into submission, preserving all Constitutional rights. If it cannot be whipped any other way than through a war against slavery, let it come to that legitimately. If it is necessary that slavery should fall that the Republic may continue its existence, let slavery go.”
$1000 dollars back then was what a farm laborer earned in 10 years. So in todays standards of minimum wage jobs. I would say thats 150k today. 10 years.
Grant promised the slave that if he helped him make a go of the 80 acre farm his father-in-law, Frederick Dent, gave him as a wedding present, he would free him. The "farm," White Haven, was no prize. They had to clear the land, selling the wood in town for firewood. They used some to build a log cabin to live in. Grant named the farm "Hardscrabble." He never made a go of it but freed the slave anyway and moved to St. Louis where he sold real estate. A healthy male field hand would easily fetch $1,000-1,500. Large plantation owners kept the price up so smaller farmers could not afford to buy slaves.
It used to be a common talking point in lost cause bulls!t that "Lee didn't own slaves but Grant did." Which was a complete lie, both men inherited slaves through their wives, except that Grant freed his slaves and was considered a "bad slave driver" because he was too nice and refused to beat them; whereas Lee was known to be a hard slave driver and only got rid of them because he hated managing them, not because he thought slavery was cruel.
Grant didn't inherit slaves, he was given them by his father in law. Unlike Lee, as you said, Grant freed his where Lee fought tooth and nail to keep the slaves he inherited when his father in law died - only to then be too lazy to manage them himself, so he rented them out.
Plus Lee’s slave were inherited from his father in law a decedent if Washington , this man Lee’s father in law had stipulated that the slaves be freed upon his death , Lee reneged in this , it’s was in papers at that time , yes Lee is considered the gentlemen and Grant is considered a drunk and butcher ,,yet no other general is considered a butcher ,,complete disgraceful , deliberate, disingenuous and inaccurate
I like this piece of propaganda, because that is what it is, just like the statements on this post. Lee did not inherit the slaves from his father in law. He was the executor of the estate and had to free them after 5 years. The only slaves that Lee punished were the three that ran away and were recaptured. Lee's father in law estate was deeply in debt and need to extend the time for emancipation until the debt was retire. But even in Virginia, a will was considered unchallengeable except in extreme causes related to the competence of the deceased.
@@ambrosephill9 hey you moron he inherited Arlington from his father in law and fled when civil war started why do you think Arlington was confiscated by the government and made a national graveyard, you stupid piece of shit , there’s no propaganda here , sorry your beloved confederacy lost the civil war you stupid brainwashed idiot, sick of losers and liars like you pig
In high school, I "learned" about Grant's presidency and the scandals he permitted. I think his drinking as a military commander was cited also. In recent years I've learned that he was man of strong convictions. He thought the U.S. was bullying Mexico during the Mexican-American war, and he hated the institution of slavery. This clip reminded me of this. Also, it could be argued that he was at least the strategist that Lee was and likely better. Grant wasn't a perfect man - none of us are; yet, he has certainly grown in my estimation over the years. And, I understand that along with George Washington, Grant was posthumously promoted to five-star general.
@@josephshields2922he was probably taught the lies that were spread about Grant to ruin his legacy as opposed to the respected statesmen and general he was.
Grant was a far superior general - and man - than Lee, in every way. Lee knew as soon as Grant moved from the wilderness to spotsylvania that the war was definitely lost, but he still kept fighting.
Lee knew that Grant was certainly more than capable of taking the Union's strengths (industrial production, logistics, and unmolested agriculture), to bear against the limited resources of the South. Netiher man was a fool, and Lee knew his opponent as well as Grant did.
If it was only that easy in 1859... No scanners, no Xerox, to get a copy you had to go to a government office, pay what in that day was an expensive fee and watch as they rewrite the information and certify it to be a true and legal copy. Most people couldn't afford a copy, let alone several.
He also built a business w/this slave and gave it to him as a free man. He never wanted a slave but his father in law gifted him one as an F you for a wedding gift. Grant didn’t condone slavery and his father in law hated this.
The issue with grant is that the scandals of others during his presidency risk 😢administration overshadowed the good he did. He was subject to what we would call depression and drank which earned him his reputation. Pre war he was always in robert e lees shadow. During the war he understood that they could not conduct warfare like during the revolution. He understood sacrifice. That is why Lincoln promotes him because he was willing to sacrifice, press forward and do what needed to be done. Prior to that Union commanders, especially McClelland are not willing to do that. . He is vastly underrated. This series helps round his legacy out.
"Find what kind of whiskey that man drinks and send a case to my generals," -Lincoln, when people complained about Grant's alcoholism. Shows just how much Lincoln respected Grant, and that even when battling an addiction, Grant had the conviction to stand against the institution of Slavery.
@@donjose6520 Trump, who can't stay awake in court and had to be warned multiple times against breaking his gag order because he couldn't stop insulting the judge, the jury; etc? Trump, who is notorious for failing to pay people for the work they do for him? Trump, who seems almost incapable of having a civil debate? The man who was offered the support of the KKK during his run in 2016; and is favored by the same people who wave Confederate flags (aka the flag of a traitorous cause) and happily proclaim "The South will rise again"? That is the person you believe is most similar to President Grant? President Grant, who freed his slave despite being deep in debt himself; because it was the right thing to do? President Grant; who had a strong enough sense of honor to show respect and mercy even to the traitors he fought against? The Union general that oversaw the defeat of the Confederacy, and tried his best to eradicate the KKK?
Grant made a lot of mistakes. Drinking was one of them, he was not a business man for sure, but he could lead men, and he was tough as nails under fire, but it was Grant pushed for a 15th amendment, which would guarantee federal and state voting rights to all male citizens regardless of “race, color or previous condition of servitude.”
It would have gotten his family out of the crippling debt that he was under. As it was, he spent the rest of that winter selling wood door to door and had to pawn his watch to buy his kids christmas presents. His father was an ardent abolitionist who apprenticed under John Brown's father to learn the tanning trade and 'Lyss never saw the point of owning another person.
Grant was a singular force that didn't concede unless absolutely necessary and that's what beat the rebels. His views on slavery were so much better than Lincoln. Lincoln wanted to send them back to Africa, viewing slaves as the problem not the system that stole them. Glad they are lifting up Grant.
The man clearly had character flaws. He abused alcohol, for one. Having said that, to free a slave instead of selling him, at a time when he was actually hurting for money, says a lot more about Grant's character than his love of whiskey.
West point made gen.grant hell man.today people are back books store here calgary alberta ask about is book yes.i read is small book about him lots courage and straight forward is lack today by gov't and business today sad but true.😮
$3,953,760,000 worth of slaves in 1860. Adjusted for inflation would be $148,779,988,800 in 2024. Made it hard for southern states to admit it all was wrong. Grant was in debt again when he was dying of cancer. Publishing his memoir relieved his family somewhat posthumously.
Yet he also said "We are not fighting merely to free the slaves and if I thought that was all it was about I would change sides!" He understood that only by thete being ONE America could America succeed.
Also important to point out that when he freed Jones he was absolutely broke. He could have used that thousand bucks. He is a great example of the best of humanity.
This is eerily similar to employee employer relations nowadays. This is still the best way to become wealthy is from the work, the intelligence and the resources of great individuals.
No he can't. He's free, but not free to do anything he wants. Still a segregated society at that time and not just the Southern US, but all the US kept blacks segregated, either by law or attitudes.
1) Can anyone tell me what movie or show this is? 2) I am European and I only know a little about this man's history, was this event real? Did he really need the money? Thanks for any answers~
I think it’s a history Chanel documentary called Grant but I’m not sure where you can watch it. And yes this did happen Grant struggled financially much of his life and 1000 dollars from selling this man would have been a great help to him and his family. Also he didn’t buy this man but got him from his father in law who was a slaveholder. Grant is my favorite historical figure if you’d like to learn more look up vlogging through history on RU-vid and look for his videos about Grant.
There are still generational slaves living on plantations in the south. I know of one woman Democrat/KKK member who still owns her families plantation in Mississippi. The blacks that live on her plantation are paid and well taken care of she has paid for college for the kids to get off the plantation. but they are generational slaves that never left that her family paid for back in the day. Strange indeed.
I feel like the only reason Grant even accepted William in the first place was to avoid offending his father-in-law. Still a bad reason to become a slave owner, but in the end he did the right thing by setting him free.
I admire Grant, he was a great man, but that doesn't do away with the irony that he was able to stand up against the entire slave-owning South, but unable to stand up against his own slave-owning wife. The ironies of history are in part what makes history so interesting. Unfortunately, many aren't willing to acknowledge them.
That must of been a surreal moment,such a cruel thing slavery is,and since the begining of them till now it continues in one form or another to all the people of the world,this really captured that unreliable moment of thinking your just a slave to wow I'ma person that's free?enpecable acting
City slaves were free to find employment and 25%-50% of their pay was given to their owners and the rest was used for their own living conditions. Today most of us get 35%-40% of our own money to spend as we see fit and when we die our possessions are divided in half and the state keeps its half and our estate pays for the legal process. Rural slaves worked about 10% harder for their masters than free labors, but often had better communities and homes to come to at the end of the day. There were more no Irish and no Chinese signs in most of America and we ignore their tragic stories.
Slavery was not only in the south. And people of all races owned slaves back then. Whether they be slaves or indentured. This is not condoning that evil, just saying there were more things going on than thinking that all southerners had many slaves. But it is that idiot book and movie... Gone With the Wind.
Our greatest leader’s often have suffered through adversity’s of life. God chooses the most unlikely to do His work. We see it today ,reflect for a moment on the words in ( 2 Timothy 3:10-15a) in the Bible. There will always be Usurper’s like those as of this date 05/04/2024 who seized power through Chicanery.
Grant Someone with a binge drinking problem that was never drunk when he was on the field A president with a corrupt cabinet but genuine good intentions A general who made mistakes but not near as much or to the same degree as his predecessors Someone who owned a slave and who is racist by modern viewpoints but freed the one slave he did own and fought for the rights of African Americans during his presidency Grant was far from perfect, far from a saint, not unfamiliar with vice, but he was a good man, with good intentions, having a grip on his vices when it came down to it. If Grant was as bad as some people try to portray, then I think the South would've won the war.
Does that freed guy “William” have a memoir that talks about his times with the Great General, would be good to know more details of how he managed his work before he went back on to active duty in the US military 🤔 anyone know by any chance?
