The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant

Last updated
The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant)
The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant.jpeg
Author Julia Grant
GenreAutobiographical memoir
Published1975
Publisher Southern Illinois University Press
ISBN 0809314428

The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant) is a book by Julia Grant, the first lady of the United States and wife of Ulysses S. Grant. Though the book's initial manuscript was written in the 1890s, it was not published until 1975. Upon publication, the book received mixed reviews from critics, with some appreciating its description of the author's life and insight into life in the Victorian era. Others criticized the book as un-revealing and "not very insightful".

Contents

Background

Julia Dent Grant Julia Dent Grant.jpg
Julia Dent Grant

Julia Dent was born on January 26, 1826, in St. Louis, Missouri US, and grew up in a well-off family who owned thirty slaves. She first met Ulysses S. Grant through her brother, Fred, as they attended West Point together. Julia and Ulysses were married on August 22, 1848; they would have four children: Frederick Dent Grant, Ulysses Simpson Grant Jr., Ellen Wrenshall Grant, and Jesse Root Grant. Ulysses served in the United States Army and resigned in 1854 to return to his family. [1] During the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, Julia traveled over 10,000 miles (16,000 km) to be with her husband as he rose to the role of Commanding General of the United States Army. [2] When Ulysses was elected president in 1868, she became first lady. She played a significant role in the position. [1]

Writing and publication

Julia Grant's husband wrote the Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, published in 1885 soon after his death. Grant eventually earned $450,000 in royalties from her book, which was very well received, both critically and by the public. [3] [4] [5] [6] She soon began giving her son, Frederick, notes on her life, which he recorded. The notes then led her to begin writing a memoir of her own. Writing it served as a "panacea for loneliness, a tonic for old age" and she soon "preferred writing to eating or driving or seeing friends." At the time, she did not intend to publish the memoir, telling The New York World in 1890 "I had no idea of publishing it". However, she soon changed her mind and began seeking a publisher for the book. She rejected several offers because, as historian John Y. Simon said, "great profits from her husband’s book created an unrealistic view of the value of her own." The offers included one to use subscription to sell the book and another by Elliott Shepard that would have provided $25,000 in advance. In November 1901, she asked Andrew Carnegie to purchase the memoir for $125,000. [1] [7] The memoirs were the first written by a first lady of the United States. [7]

The book was still unpublished upon Julia Grant's death on December 14, 1902. The memoirs remained largely private until John Simon was allowed to edit them and they were published by Southern Illinois University Press in 1975. [1] [7]

Critical reception

David Lindsay gave the book a favorable review in Civil War History , writing that the book presents Julia as "a lively, likable human being" and he felt that "Julia Grant's Memoirs complement the General's", particularly praising her description of Grant's trip around the world. He concludes that "we [are] indebted to Julia Grant for relating candidly what life in the Grant household was like, the texture of her marriage and the private side of her husband and herself". [8] In the Atlantic Monthly , Phoebe Adams calls the book an "artless autobiography", noting the "fascinating behind-the-scenes detail" and the fact that there is not "a word of complaint about the roller-coaster Grant fortunes". [9]

Jeffery Lant in The Great Lakes Review felt that the book was not "at all revealing" and "not very insightful". He concluded that the book was "interesting" as a portrait of how a well-off woman lived in the mid-to-late 1800s, and the only reason the memoirs have importance is because they serve as a reminder of "how important the trivial is and how often historians have neglected and overlooked it". [10] Vernon Bullough considers that its focus on trivial aspects of life may be because Julia intended her memoirs to supplement her husband's. [11] A 1989 review by James Rawley of a reprinted edition of the book in the Illinois Historical Journal wrote that the book is a "study in Victorian domesticity" and noted that the book is decidedly "apolitical". He felt the memoirs to "lack sensible proportion", with a heavy focus on her pre-war years and less about the Civil War and presidency. He feels the account of their world tour is "tedious" but concluded the book was "handsome and well-edited". [12] Kathryn Kish Sklar called the book a "study in human conflict", [13] while Kirkus Reviews bemoaned that "even on the parquet-and-bonnet level Julia gives so little satisfaction" and concluded: "thoroughly American, she is about as revealing of her period or herself as Mamie Eisenhower." [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Grant</span> First Lady of the United States (1869-1877)

Julia Boggs Grant was the first lady of the United States and wife of President Ulysses S. Grant. As first lady, she became a national figure in her own right. Her memoirs, The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant were published in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Hutchinson</span> English translator and poet

Lucy Hutchinson (1618–1681) was an English translator, poet, and biographer, and the first person to translate the complete text of Lucretius's De rerum natura into English verse, during the years of the Interregnum (1649–1660).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Kelley</span> American activist (1859–1932)

Florence Moltrop Kelley was a social and political reformer and the pioneer of the term wage abolitionism. Her work against sweatshops and for the minimum wage, eight-hour workdays, and children's rights is widely regarded today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site</span> National Historic Site of the United States

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is a 9.65-acre (3.91 ha) United States National Historic Site located 10 mi (16 km) southwest of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, within the municipality of Grantwood Village, Missouri. The site, also known as White Haven, commemorates the life, military career and presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. Five historic structures are preserved at the site, including the childhood home of Ulysses' wife, Julia Dent Grant.

<i>Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant</i> Autobiography of Ulysses S. Grant

The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant is an autobiography by Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, focused mainly on his military career during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War, and completed as he was dying of throat cancer in 1885. The two-volume set was published by Mark Twain shortly after Grant's death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nellie Grant</span> Daughter of President U.S. Grant (1855–1922)

Ellen Wrenshall "Nellie" Grant was the third child and only daughter of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Grant. At the age of 16, Nellie was sent abroad to England by President Grant, and was received by Queen Victoria. As a teenager growing up in the White House, she attracted much attention.

<i>Appomattox</i> (opera) Opera by Philip Glass

Appomattox is an opera in English based on the surrender ending the American Civil War, composed by Philip Glass, with a libretto by the playwright Christopher Hampton. The work had its world premiere at the San Francisco Opera on October 5, 2007, with a cast that included Dwayne Croft as Robert E. Lee and Andrew Shore as Ulysses S. Grant. The revised version commissioned and premiered by the Washington National Opera on November 14, 2015, expanded the work from 90 minutes to 160 minutes and added roles for Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Tracy Dent</span> United States Army officer (1820–1892)

Frederick Tracy Dent was an American general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant</span> American-born Russian noble and writer (1876–1975)

Julia Dent Grant Cantacuzène Speransky, Princess Cantacuzène, Countess Speransky, was an American author and historian. She was the eldest child of Frederick Dent Grant and his wife Ida Marie Honoré, and the second grandchild of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States. In 1899, she married Prince Mikhail Cantacuzène, a Russian general and diplomat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ida Marie Honoré</span>

Ida Marie Honoré Grant was an American socialite, philanthropist, and ambassador's wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibliography of Ulysses S. Grant</span>

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States (1869–1877) following his success as military commander in the American Civil War. Under Grant, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and secession, the war ending with the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army at Appomattox Court House. As president, Grant led the Radical Republicans in their effort to eliminate vestiges of Confederate nationalism and slavery, protect African American citizenship, and pursued Reconstruction in the former Confederate states. In foreign policy, Grant sought to increase American trade and influence, while remaining at peace with the world. Although his Republican Party split in 1872 as reformers denounced him, Grant was easily reelected. During his second term the country's economy was devastated by the Panic of 1873, while investigations exposed corruption scandals in the administration. Although still below average, his reputation among scholars has significantly improved in recent years because of greater appreciation for his commitment to civil rights, moral courage in his prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan, and enforcement of voting rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Place (Holly Springs, Mississippi)</span> Historic house in Mississippi, United States

Walter Place is a historic mansion in Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States. Built in 1860 for pro-Union Harvey Washington Walter, the President of the Mississippi Central Railroad. The mansion was the temporary home of Union General Ulysses Grant and his wife Julia Grant during part of the American Civil War. Later, it was the summer residence of Oscar Johnson, Jr., the co-founder of the International Shoe Company. A combination of Greek Revival and Gothic Revival architectural styles, it was the most expensive house in Mississippi on the market in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Washington Walter</span> American lawyer

Colonel Harvey Washington Walter (1819–1878) was an American lawyer and railroad business executive. He served as the President of the Mississippi Central Railroad. During the Civil War, he invited Union General Ulysses Grant and his wife, Julia Grant, to stay in his mansion, Walter Place. He succumbed to the yellow fever after turning it into a hospital for patients in 1878.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Simpson Grant</span> Mother of President Ulysses S. Grant

Hannah Grant was the mother of Ulysses S. Grant, the famous Union general in the American Civil War and the 18th president of the United States. She married Jesse Root Grant in Point Pleasant, Ohio, and was the mother of six children. Little is known about her private life, other than what can be discerned from general and public information. She rarely discussed her son with anyone while he was a general and a president, especially not the press. She was a devoutly religious woman, always reserved and unpretentious in her manner, and she is often considered by historians and others to have had a strong influence on her son Ulysses who shared similar qualities in character.

Duong Van Mai Elliott is a Vietnamese author, writer and translator. Her memoir, The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family, tells the story of the Vietnam War from the perspective of a Vietnamese family. She was also featured in The Vietnam War, PBS's 18-hour documentary series on the conflict.

<i>Recollections of Full Years</i> 1914 memoir

Recollections of Full Years is a 1914 memoir by Helen Taft, a First Lady of the United States and wife of William Howard Taft. The memoirs were the first to be published by a first lady. The book serves as "the most important source of information" about Helen Taft.

<i>My Memoir</i> Memoir by Edith Wilson

My Memoir is a 1938 memoir by Edith Wilson, a First Lady of the United States and the wife of Woodrow Wilson. She wrote the book as an apologia to defend her husband from perceived attacks, and to preserve his legacy. Critics generally considered the book to be "delightful" as a "collection of episodes", but especially those writing at publication predicted it would be of little historical value except for its account of Woodrow Wilson's stroke and last days in office. However it has been used by academic historians in the late 20th and early 21st centuries to examine a variety of topics related to Edith Wilson.

<i>This I Remember</i> 1949 memoir by Eleanor Roosevelt

This I Remember is a 1949 memoir by Eleanor Roosevelt, an American political figure, diplomat, activist and First Lady of the United States while her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was President of the United States. This I Remember was one of four memoirs written by Roosevelt, the other three being: This Is My Story, On My Own, and The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. It was received well by critics and was a commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulysses S. Grant Monument</span> Monument in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois

The Ulysses S. Grant Monument is a presidential memorial in Chicago, honoring American Civil War general and 18th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant. Located in Lincoln Park, the statue was commissioned shortly after the president's death in 1885 and was completed in 1891. Several artists submitted sketches, and Louis Rebisso was selected to design the statue, with a granite pedestal suggested by William Le Baron Jenney. At the time of its completion, the monument was the largest bronze statue cast in the United States, and over 250,000 people were present at the dedication.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Julia Grant Biography". National First Ladies' Library. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  2. Hooper, Candice Shy (14 February 2013). "The Two Julias". Opinionator. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  3. Wilson, Edmund. Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War, (1962) pp. 131–173.
  4. Rafuse, Ethan Sepp (2007). "Still a Mystery? General Grant and the Historians, 1981–2006". Journal of Military History. 71 (3): 849–874. doi:10.1353/jmh.2007.0230. S2CID   159901226.
  5. see also Booknotes interview with Mark Perry on Grant and Twain: The Story of a Friendship That Changed America, July 18, 2004. Archived March 14, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Miller, Craig E. "'Give the Book to Clemens'," American History, April 1999, Vol. 34, Issue 1
  7. 1 2 3 "The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  8. Lindsey, David (1975). "The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant) (review)". Civil War History. 21 (3): 285–287. doi:10.1353/cwh.1975.0055. ISSN   1533-6271.
  9. Adams, Phoebe (March 1975). "The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant". The Atlantic Monthly. 235: 103 via ProQuest.
  10. Lant, Jeffrey (1976). "Review of The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant". The Great Lakes Review. 2 (2): 97–100. ISSN   0360-1846. JSTOR   41337435.
  11. Bullough, Vern L. (1976). Simon, John Y. (ed.). "Paul E. Fuller. Laura Clay and the Woman's Rights Movement". The American Historical Review. 81 (3): 669–670. doi:10.2307/1852611. ISSN   0002-8762. JSTOR   1852611.
  12. Rawley, James A. (1989). "Review of The Personal Memoirs of [Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant]". Illinois Historical Journal. 82 (2): 127–128. ISSN   0748-8149. JSTOR   40192478.
  13. Sklar, Kathryn Kish (1975). "Review of The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant [Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant]". The Journal of American History. 62 (3): 702–703. doi:10.2307/2936259. ISSN   0021-8723. JSTOR   2936259.
  14. "The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2020-11-20.