World tour of Ulysses S. Grant

Common card · No. 491535

Ulysses S. Grant began his world tour in May 1877, only a couple of months after his second presidential term had ended. After serving as a general during the Civil War, and as president for two consecutive terms during the turbulent Reconstruction era, Grant was ready for a vacation from the years of stress that war and politics had brought him. Now in his late fifties, he looked forward to the tour with great enthusiasm. With his wife Julia and a retinue of close colleagues and friends, Grant traveled the world for more than two and a half years. The Grants had a flexible itinerary and visited a variety of places and prominent people, including Pope Leo XIII, Queen Victoria, Otto von Bismarck and several other heads of state. Grant was often received by cheering crowds as "General Grant" the Civil War hero and in some cases was met with official greetings and huge celebrations. During the tour abroad, Grant was encouraged by his successor President Rutherford B. Hayes to represent the...

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