{"id":112781,"date":"2023-09-18T08:39:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T12:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=112781"},"modified":"2026-04-23T16:41:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:41:27","slug":"grant-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/grant-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Ron Chernow’s Grant: Book Overview & Key Takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What’s Ron Chernow’s book Grant<\/em> about? Why is Ulysses S. Grant’s life as president of the United States and general during the Civil War so fascinating?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Grant<\/em>, Ron Chernow assesses Grant’s role in the Civil War, his accomplishments as president, and his struggles with alcohol use. His aim is to restore Grant’s reputation, which was demolished due to corruption and scandals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read below for a brief Grant<\/em> book overview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Grant<\/em> by Ron Chernow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Best known as the general who led the Union to victory over the Confederacy in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant has been widely misunderstood by mainstream historians, argues biographer Ron Chernow. According to Chernow, the mainstream narrative characterizes Grant as an inept heavy drinker whose success in the Civil War stemmed primarily from a numbers advantage and whose Presidency was marred by corruption and the failure of Reconstruction. But, in his comprehensive 2018 biography book, Grant<\/em><\/a>, Chernow seeks to correct this caricature by shedding light on Grant\u2019s achievements as General of the Union, President of the United States, and a person fighting valiantly against an alcohol addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Pulitzer Prize recipient for his 2010 biography on George Washington and the author of seminal biographies on Alexander Hamilton<\/a> and John D. Rockefeller, Chernow has established himself as one of America\u2019s preeminent historical biographers. Chernow\u2019s historical expertise is evident throughout Grant<\/a><\/em>, in which he weaves together evidence from interviews, private correspondence, and historical records to craft an encyclopedic account of Grant\u2019s life and accomplishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u27a1 Enjoy political biographies? <\/em>Here\u2019s a list of some of our favorites.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Military Career<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chernow writes that Grant\u2019s military career spans from the Mexican American-War of the late 1840s, in which Grant served as a soldier under Major General (and future President) Zachary Taylor, to the pinnacle of the Civil War, in which Grant emerged victorious over Confederate General Robert E. Lee to effectively end the war. In this section, we\u2019ll focus on Grant\u2019s military tenure in the Civil War specifically, discussing how Southern secession spurred his return to service, how he displayed a cunning military mind as commander of Union troops, and finally how he protected ex-slaves following Lincoln\u2019s Emancipation Proclamation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Opposition to Secession<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To understand Grant\u2019s return to the military\u2014which occurred after drinking allegations led him to resign in 1854, as we\u2019ll discuss later\u2014Chernow first examines Grant\u2019s reaction to the news that eleven Southern states had seceded from the Union between late 1860 and 1861, with these states declaring themselves the Confederate States of America and selecting Jefferson Davis as their President. According to Chernow, these secessions galvanized Grant to return to duty<\/strong>, as Grant maintained that secession was unconstitutional and traitorous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In defense of this claim, Chernow appeals to passages from Grant\u2019s own Memoirs<\/em>, in which he reflected on the wave of secessions in January of 1861, including Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. Because the US purchased many of these states through its national treasury, Grant reasoned that they lacked the right to secede. Indeed, Chernow points out that Grant had a visceral response to representatives from Confederate states gathering in February of 1861, who declared themselves the Confederate States of America\u2014interviews with witnesses stated that Grant called for all of the traitors to be hanged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With his newfound zeal, Grant traveled to towns around Galena, Illinois\u2014his hometown\u2014to seek volunteers to join the military. And although it took some time for Grant to earn an official post, Chernow writes that he became a colonel of the Twenty-First Illinois Regiment in June,<\/strong> officially marking his return to military life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Strategic Savvy During the Civil War<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After his return to the military, Grant was promoted to Major General of Volunteers in 1862, making him the second-highest general in the Western Theater (the land between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian mountains).  Contrary to Grant\u2019s critics, who allege Grant was closer to a reckless butcher than a savvy leader, Chernow argues that Grant was a cunning strategist and leader in the Civil War, both on and off the battlefield. <\/strong>Though Chernow cites varied evidence to defend this thesis, he focuses on two key examples: Grant\u2019s military campaign in Vicksburg and his post-victory treatment of Confederates in Vicksburg and Appomattox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Consistent Concern for Freedmen<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Grant\u2019s strategic genius, Chernow maintains that Grant also exemplified compassion in his treatment of ex-slaves throughout the Civil War. Specifically, Chernow argues that Grant consistently advocated for the fair treatment of ex-slaves<\/strong>, as shown by his development of \u201ccontraband camps\u201d to care for former slaves and his commitment to letting them join the Union army. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Chernow points out that in November of 1862, following Congressional orders for Union armies to safeguard former slaves, Grant spearheaded the effort to establish \u201ccontraband camps\u201d\u2014encampments in which former slaves were paid for their labor (like harvesting crops and building cabins). Moreover, Grant supplied these freedmen with shelter, food, and clothing to effectively establish their own communities. As Chernow relates, Grant\u2019s initiative even earned him praise from acclaimed Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Chernow relates that in April of 1863, Grant enthusiastically enlisted former slaves into the army as paid soldiers and urged his commanders to do the same, creating the first Black regiments in the Union army. Chernow argues that, in light of the entrenched racism present in the Union army, Grant\u2019s insistence on allowing liberated slaves to join the military was momentous: By encouraging prejudiced Union troops to work alongside these ex-slaves, Grant began to uproot decades of ingrained racism among Northern soldiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chernow contends that both of these actions flowed from Grant\u2019s increasingly firm support for abolitionism. Chernow notes that, in Grant\u2019s 1863 letter to Illinois Representative Elihu Washburne, he expressed an uncompromising conviction that reconciliation with the South could only occur after eradicating slavery, even going so far as to deem the war divine retribution for slavery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant the President<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After widespread success in the Civil War, Grant parlayed his post-war popularity in both Northern and Southern states into the presidency: In 1868, as the Republican nominee, Grant defeated incumbent Andrew Johnson (who became President after Abraham Lincoln\u2019s assassination) to become the 18th President. In this section, we\u2019ll analyze Grant\u2019s legacy of Reconstruction\u2014the era lasting from the Civil War\u2019s end until 1877\u2014which saw him attempt to defend civil rights for Black Americans while reconciling with the South. Additionally, we\u2019ll consider the corruption that marred Grant\u2019s Presidency and Chernow\u2019s explanation that it arose from Grant\u2019s overly trusting nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Civil Rights Activism<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to Chernow, Grant remained steadfastly committed to protecting civil rights for freedmen in the aftermath of the Civil War. He argues that Grant\u2019s work as President<\/strong> was essential for safeguarding Black citizens\u2019 civil rights and helping them transition out of slavery<\/strong>. And although Chernow lists various examples of Grant\u2019s activism, he mainly focuses on three key instances: Grant\u2019s support for the Fifteenth Amendment, his implementation of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)<\/strong> Act, and his decision to fund the Bureau of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Attempts at Domestic and International Conciliation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chernow further argues that, in addition to his civil rights activism, Grant\u2019s Presidency was marked by attempts at international and domestic conciliation, though these attempts weren\u2019t always successful<\/strong>. To understand Grant\u2019s conciliatory efforts, we\u2019ll focus on two key areas: his successful attempts at conciliating with Great Britain post-Civil War, and his unsuccessful attempts at conciliating with the South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Conciliation With Great Britain<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Chernow contends that Grant successfully alleviated post-war tensions with Great Britain by savvily navigating the so-called Alabama <\/em>claims. <\/strong>These claims, he points out, arose during the Civil War, in which five warships constructed in Great Britain\u2014most famously the CSS Alabama<\/em>\u2014were used by the Confederacy to fight the Union despite Britain\u2019s alleged stance of neutrality. After the Civil War, Northern politicians demanded compensation for damages wrought by the warships, with Senator Charles Sumner proposing a radical $2 billion dollar settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Chernow relates, Grant handled the situation masterfully: Through his secretary of state, Hamilton Fish, he established an international committee composed of American and British members to arbitrate the Alabama <\/em>claims. As a result of this arbitration, Britain admitted fault and agreed to a $15.5 million settlement. In Chernow\u2019s assessment, Grant won the admiration of the American public by getting Britain to admit culpability, but he also avoided confrontation with Great Britain by allowing an international tribunal to arbitrate the claims. He thus tactfully resolved a situation that could have resulted in domestic upheaval or international conflict, setting the stage for peaceful international arbitration in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attempted Domestic Conciliation With the South<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Despite Grant\u2019s success in international diplomacy, he was unable to attain similar success domestically. According to Chernow, Grant consistently sought to reconcile the North and the South post war<\/strong>, but failed to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s goal of reconciliation, Chernow points out, was evident before he took office\u2014as lieutenant general post-Civil War, Grant threatened to resign when President Andrew Johnson declared his intent to prosecute Lee and other Confederate leaders for treason. Grant understood that prosecuting Lee would not only violate the Appomattox surrender agreement, but it would also incite further unrest in the South. Not wanting to oppose Grant, President Johnson decided to avoid prosecuting the Confederate leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, Chernow argues that by the end of Grant\u2019s presidency, the divide between North and South was irreconcilable. He alleges that Grant\u2019s aggressive strategy to defeat the KKK\u2014which involved consistently stationing federal troops in Southern states\u2014led Democratic Congressmen to regain control of Southern states, which viewed the presence of federal troops as an attack against states\u2019 freedoms. As leaders of the South, these Democrats cast the Civil War as an act of \u201cnorthern aggression\u201d and an assault on states\u2019 rights, downplaying the role slavery had played in causing the war. According to Chernow, this increased Democratic control of the South led to the end of Grant\u2019s Reconstruction era<\/a> in 1877. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Political Naivety and Susceptibility to Corruption<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Although Grant showed political poise in settling the Alabama <\/em>claims, Chernow contends that his lack of political experience was evident elsewhere. In particular, he argues that Grant\u2019s gullible nature blinded him to corruption by those he trusted<\/strong>, revealing a consistent political naivety. To show as much, we\u2019ll focus on two scandals that marred Grant\u2019s presidency: the so-called Whiskey Ring and Indian Ring scandals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scandal #1: The Whiskey Ring<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Whiskey Ring scandal, discovered in 1875, concerned two of Grant\u2019s close friends: General John McDonald, whom Grant nominated as head of internal revenue for Arkansas and Missouri, and Orville Babcock, Grant\u2019s personal aide. For several years, McDonald had colluded with whiskey distillers in St. Louis, helping them duck taxes and pocketing half the difference himself. And as Grant\u2019s aide, Babcock supported McDonald both by steering attention away from the ring, and by later providing McDonald a heads-up before federal agents raided the distilleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, although Secretary of the Treasury Benjamin Bristow showed Grant damning evidence against McDonald and Babcock, Grant refused to believe his friends had betrayed him. As Chernow relates, Grant even gave a deposition in 1876\u2014an act unprecedented for a sitting President\u2014to testify to Babcock\u2019s honesty and to express his unwavering belief in Babcock\u2019s innocence. According to Chernow, this deposition was crucial in Babcock\u2019s acquittal, even though telegrams had been seized effectively proving Babcock had colluded with McDonald. So though Grant didn\u2019t participate in the scandal himself, his naivety led to the acquittal of one of its key members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scandal #2: The Indian Ring<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In the wake of the whiskey ring, Grant\u2019s presidency fell victim to another scandal, known as the Indian Ring, that again showcased Grant\u2019s vulnerability to corruption. Chernow writes that, in March 1876, a House committee collected evidence that Grant\u2019s Secretary of War, William Belknap, had committed an impeachable offense by taking bribes to appoint individuals to valuable Indian traderships (trading posts whose owners had the right to sell goods to Native Americans) to the tune of $6,000 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s short-sightedness was evident on March 2, when Belknap (who had caught wind of the looming impeachment hearing against him) approached him and asked to resign. According to Chernow, though Grant knew of the investigation against Belknap, he carelessly accepted his resignation, making him a private citizen and throwing into question whether it was legal to impeach him. Grant thus unwittingly shielded Belknap, and although the Senate attempted to convict Belknap, the vote failed because many Senators believed they couldn\u2019t convict a private citizen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Lifelong Struggle With Unhealthy Alcohol Use<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In spite of Grant\u2019s achievements as General and as President, his reputation was tarnished by accusations of rampant alcohol misuse. Chernow maintains that many historical accounts specifically emphasize these accusations, suggesting Grant drank recklessly and was controlled by intemperate desires. But, according to Chernow, this portrayal is misguided\u2014Grant, he argues, fought valiantly against his tendency toward unhealthy alcohol use and attained victory over this tendency in his final years. In this section, we\u2019ll examine Chernow\u2019s account of Grant\u2019s alcohol use, outlining its roots in Grant\u2019s military career, how Grant recognized his addiction, and how he conquered it in his final years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Roots of Grant\u2019s Alcohol Misuse<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to Chernow, Grant\u2019s struggles with alcohol misuse had deep roots in his family and his early military service<\/strong>. Chernow points out that, per correspondence from Grant\u2019s father, Jesse Root Grant, Grant\u2019s grandfather misused alcohol. Because alcohol misuse is partially hereditary, this suggests Grant might have been genetically predisposed to unhealthy drinking patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chernow contends that the first indications of Grant\u2019s struggles with alcohol misuse occurred during his time as an officer in the Mexican-American War. According to Grant\u2019s friend, Richard Dawson, Grant drank heavily after the war, to the point that his drinking had visibly impacted his health. But, Chernow writes, Grant\u2019s struggles were amplified in 1854 when he was stationed at Fort Humboldt\u2014an isolated fort in Northern California, where Grant was separated from his family and grew increasingly depressed. Interviews with Grant\u2019s fellow soldiers reveal that, during this time, Grant frequently drank to the point of sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Grant\u2019s unhealthy alcohol use reached a new low in April 1854. Chernow writes that Grant\u2019s commanding officer\u2014Colonel Robert Buchanan\u2014admonished Grant after a severe drinking incident, telling Grant that he would compel Grant\u2019s resignation if it occurred again. Then, when Grant later turned up intoxicated at his company\u2019s pay table, Colonel Buchanan allegedly told Grant he could resign or face a court-martial and possible dishonorable discharge. Thus, on April 11, 1854, Grant resigned his post as captain, leaving the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Recognition of His Addiction<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Although Grant\u2019s unhealthy alcohol use had debilitating effects, Chernow argues that Grant wasn\u2019t the passive victim of his addiction, but actively recognized it and fought against it. <\/strong>To show as much, Chernow points to Grant\u2019s early membership in temperance movements and his later reliance on his aide in the Civil War, John Rawlins, to enforce his sobriety pledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Chernow relates, Grant joined the Sons of Temperance\u2014a national brotherhood advocating abstinence from alcohol\u2014in the late 1840s, even organizing his own division in Sackets Harbor, where he was stationed. In addition to taking a vow of sobriety, Grant\u2019s membership required him to wear a white sash publicly showing his association with the temperance movement. According to an interview with a friend, Grant joined the Sons of Temperance<\/a> because he was convinced that abstinence was the only protection from his tendency to misuse alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to joining the temperance movement as a young soldier, Grant also recognized his struggles with unhealthy alcohol use as a colonel at the beginning of the Civil War. Chernow writes that in 1861, Grant appointed John Rawlins\u2014a steadfast advocate of temperance\u2014as his chief of staff, and allowed Rawlins to enforce Grant\u2019s vow of sobriety until the war ended<\/strong>. By making this pledge to Rawlins, Grant showed a willingness to confront his alcohol misuse rather than downplaying its significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant\u2019s Eventual Victory Over Unhealthy Alcohol Use<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Despite Grant\u2019s lifelong struggles with alcohol misuse, Chernow maintains that Grant conquered his addiction during and after the Presidency, <\/strong>before his death in 1885.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chernow points out that, during Grant\u2019s Presidency, Grant was known to refuse any alcohol at state dinners, and on New Year\u2019s Day, he ordered coffee to be served in lieu of alcohol. Further, according to correspondence from Admiral Daniel Ammen (one of Grant\u2019s closest friends), Ammen never once witnessed Grant inebriated during his eight years as President. And more generally, Chernow argues that the lack of credible accusations of binge drinking during Grant\u2019s tenure as President suggests Grant had remained sober.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As evidence that Grant continued to conquer his unhealthy alcohol use post-presidency, Chernow points to Grant\u2019s renewed association with temperance movements. In 1880, Grant reportedly met with temperance advocates in Florida, formally declaring his belief that alcohol was the root of evils like poverty and crime. However, the strongest evidence that Grant stayed sober stems from his personal butler, ex-slave Harrison Terrell. According to newspaper interviews with Terrell, who likely spent more time with Grant than anyone but Grant\u2019s wife, Grant exclusively drank in moderation later in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken together, Chernow argues, these pieces of evidence indicate that Grant overcame his addiction toward the end of his life. And, in Chernow\u2019s assessment, for the man who had conquered the Confederates and reunited the country, the victory over unhealthy drinking might have been Grant\u2019s greatest victory of all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s Ron Chernow’s book Grant about? Why is Ulysses S. Grant’s life as president of the United States and general during the Civil War so fascinating? In Grant, Ron Chernow assesses Grant’s role in the Civil War, his accomplishments as president, and his struggles with alcohol use. His aim is to restore Grant’s reputation, which was demolished due to corruption and scandals. Read below for a brief Grant book overview.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":95652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,39,33],"tags":[1259],"class_list":["post-112781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-history","category-people","tag-grant","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nRon Chernow's Grant: Book Overview & Key Takeaways - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In his book Grant, Ron Chernow shows that, despite his scandals, Ulysses S. Grant accomplished greatness during his presidency. 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