The presidency of Ulysses S. Grant began on March 4, 1869, when Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated as the 18th President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1877. The Reconstruction era took place during Grant's two terms of office. The Ku Klux Klan caused widespread violence throughout the South against African Americans. By 1870, all former Confederate states had been readmitted into the United States and were represented in Congress; however, Democrats and former slave owners refused to accept that freedmen were citizens who were granted suffrage by the Fifteenth Amendment, which prompted Congress to pass three Force Acts to allow the federal government to intervene when states failed to protect former slaves' rights. Following an escalation of Klan violence in the late 1860s, Grant and his attorney general, Amos T. Akerman, head of the newly created Department of Justice, began a crackdown on Klan activity in the South, starting in South Carolina, where Grant sent federal troops to capture Klan members. This led the Klan to demobilize and helped ensure fair elections in 1872. He was succeeded by fellow Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, who won the 1876 presidential election.
The 1829 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, on December 8, 1829, to the 21st United States Congress. This was Jackson's first address to Congress after his election, and it set the tone for his presidency, emphasizing limited government, states’ rights, and the removal of Native Americans from their lands.
The history of U.S. foreign policy from 1861 to 1897 concerns the foreign policy of the United States during the presidential administrations of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison. The period began with the outbreak of the American Civil War 1861 and ended with the 1897 inauguration of William McKinley, whose administration commenced a new period of U.S. foreign policy.
The 1795 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 1st president of the United States, George Washington, to a joint session of the Fourth United States Congress on December 8, 1795. This address covered a broad range of topics, including foreign relations, military affairs, and the domestic state of the Union.
The 1809 State of the Union Address was delivered by the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, on November 29, 1809. This was Madison's first State of the Union address, delivered to the Eleventh United States Congress.
The 1817 State of the Union Address was delivered by the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe, on December 2, 1817. This was Monroe's first annual message to the Fifteenth United States Congress and reflected on the nation's prosperity following the War of 1812.
The 1821 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 5th president of the United States James Monroe to the 17th United States Congress on December 3, 1821.
The 1833 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, on December 3, 1833, to the 23rd United States Congress. In this address, Jackson celebrated the nation's prosperity and expressed optimism about the continued peace and health of the country, as well as the flourishing of its commerce and industry.
The 1834 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, to the 23rd United States Congress on December 1, 1834. Jackson highlighted the continued prosperity and peaceful conditions in the nation, praising the harvests and the flourishing commerce. He urged Congress to ensure that "virtue and enterprise" remained central to the country's development.
The 1835 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, on December 8, 1835, to the 24th United States Congress. This was Jackson's seventh annual message, and he used it to reflect on both domestic successes and challenges as his presidency neared its conclusion. He emphasized the nation's growing prosperity, highlighting the "unexampled growth and prosperity" of the United States, and stressed the importance of unity to avoid the internal conflicts that had disrupted other nations.
The 1839 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 8th president of the United States Martin Van Buren to the 26th United States Congress on December 2, 1839. Van Buren opened by noting that while the country had experienced several challenges, including fires, disease, and ongoing trade difficulties in key cities, the nation continued to benefit from prosperity in agriculture. He praised the season's abundant harvests, noting that “no means of individual comfort is more certain and no source of national prosperity is so sure” as agriculture.
The 1843 State of the Union address was delivered by the 10th president of the United States John Tyler to the 27th United States Congress on December 5, 1843. In this address, President Tyler spoke of America's overall prosperity and stability, crediting "the superintendence of an overruling Providence" for guiding the nation through its many trials. Tyler's remarks emphasized the nation's peace, rising trade and commerce, and the abundance of agricultural production in 1843, which together had contributed to economic revival following the financial instability of prior years.
The 1847 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 11th president of the United States James K. Polk to the 30th United States Congress on December 7, 1847. President Polk addressed issues of national prosperity, the ongoing Mexican-American War, and the growth of American territorial interests.
The 1853 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, to the 33rd United States Congress on December 5, 1853. This address marked Pierce's first annual message to Congress, emphasizing themes of national prosperity, international relations, and the importance of federal restraint in domestic policy. Pierce opened by celebrating the peace and prosperity the United States was experiencing, calling it "a time of remarkable progress" and "unusual blessings." He emphasized the importance of national integrity and suggested that the nation's success was sustained by the favor of Providence.
The 1869 State of the Union address was delivered by the 18th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant on December 6, 1869, to the 41st United States Congress. It was Grant's first annual address, focusing on post-Civil War recovery, economic policy, and civil rights.
The 1870 State of the Union address was delivered by the 18th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant on December 5, 1870, to the 41st United States Congress. This was Grant’s second annual message, emphasizing Reconstruction, foreign relations, and domestic reforms.
The 1871 State of the Union address was delivered by the 18th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant to the 42nd United States Congress on December 4, 1871. President Grant highlighted the nation's prosperity and emphasized the enforcement of federal laws. He commended the peaceful resolution of disputes with Great Britain through the Treaty of Washington and noted progress in relations with Germany, Italy, and other nations.
The 1874 State of the Union address was delivered by the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, to the 43rd United States Congress on December 7, 1874. In his message, Grant addressed economic challenges, foreign relations, and domestic governance in the wake of the Panic of 1873 and ongoing political turbulence in the Reconstruction-era South.
The 1878 State of the Union address was delivered by the 19th president of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, to the 45th United States Congress on December 2, 1878, in the House Chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Presiding over the joint session was Speaker of the House, Samuel J. Randall, and Vice President William A. Wheeler.
The 1879 State of the Union address was delivered by the 19th president of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, to the 46th United States Congress on December 1, 1879, in the House Chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Speaker of the House, Samuel J. Randall, and Vice President William A. Wheeler presided over the joint session.
